The Aboriginal Outreach Support Project in Whittington has been established to support local families and early years services in response to the disrupted learning experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the project, an outreach worker supports Aboriginal children and their families to:

• maximise attendance at kindergarten for the remainder of 2021
• successfully transition to school in 2021
• increase enrolments for both 3-year-old and 4-year-old kindergarten and
• increase engagement in early learning supports, such as community playgroups.

Embedding social equity

The Aboriginal Outreach Support Project supports social equity as it has been specifically designed to support not only Aboriginal families, but in particular those living in Whittington.

The Aboriginal Outreach Support Project aligns strongly with the following Social Equity Enablers:

• Fairness: allocating resources to develop bespoke, place-based processes for engagement with, and support for, local families.
• Access: working with local early years services to reduce barriers for Aboriginal families.
• Voice: providing an avenue for local Aboriginal people and Aboriginal organisations to impart their knowledge to the local school and kindergarten, creating opportunities for increased dialogue and connection.
• Participation: creating opportunities for local families to connect and participate in community events and connect with local organisations and services.
• Inclusion: supporting the local early years sector to provide an inviting and safe environment for local Aboriginal families, which includes a focus on cultural safety.
• Empowerment: establishing processes that support local Aboriginal families and people to provide input and influence local services, while helping to build families’ confidence to connect with their local community.

Outcomes and impact

The Aboriginal Outreach Support Project has delivered a number of key actions so far, aimed at supporting stronger connections between Aboriginal families and the local early years sector.

These include:

• Whittington Early Years Open Day: a collaboration and coming together of local families and community organisations, Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-Operative, the local school and kindergarten and the local community centre.
• Early Years Open Session: engaging families with children aged between 2 and 3.5 years with supports to help them connect with Maternal Child Health, the local kindergarten and childcare, supported playgroup and the local school.
• Engagement with Local Aboriginal Elder: connecting with the local kindergarten and school to provide invaluable knowledge and yarning.
• Children’s Week event: Encompass Enterprises, by utilising a Children’s Week Grant, completed a ‘makeover’ of the local kindergarten front garden to make the space more welcoming for local families.
• Professional Networking: connecting key organisations that support families in the local Whittington community.
• Early Years resources: focused on informing local families about local early years and school transitions, as well as resources aimed at early years professionals to support their work with local families. The impact of the program on the early years sector is well described by a testimonial from Angela Baum, an Early Childhood Development Officer and Best Start Facilitator Family Services:

Working in collaboration with the Aboriginal Outreach support group has provided the opportunity to gain further knowledge on working in a culturally inclusive manner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and extended family networks. It has also emphasised the key issues facing First Nations families and the supports required for children and families to access, engage and participate in early childhood education and Maternal Child Health services.

Removing the barriers for families to participate in services has been a priority of the group and it has been vital to always be prepared to fit in with the community, work with key contacts, be visible, go to them, meet at times that suit them, always follow up and keep informed, involve them as part of planning.”

Links to our community plan

Strategic direction: Health, caring and inclusive community Desired outcomes: Our community has equitable access to health and social services, information and infrastructure Four-year priorities: Strengthen relationships and partnerships with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Greater Geelong.

Aboriginal Art at Whittington Child and Family Centre. Photo: City of Greater Geelong