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Celebrating the strength of First Nations children

Celebrating the strength of First Nations children

12 September 2023
  • The Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) has launched the inaugural First Nations Children’s Report.
  • The online report showcases the stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families who are thriving despite the challenges of structural racism and experiencing the impacts of colonialism.
  • The QFCC will continue to celebrate First Nations sovereignty and strength by collecting and adding more stories to this website.

The QFCC’s First Nations Children’s Report celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people, their families and communities.

It features stories about the positive outcomes that come when decisions are based around the strengths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and culture.

It also highlights the importance of centring the rights of children and their families in decisions and providing meaningful opportunities to participate in decisions that impact them.

The report showcases stories from First Nations people in Queensland, including:

  • Mulungu Aboriginal Corporation Primary Health Care Service (Muluridji Country, Mareeba) – Tanya speaks about the support it offers pregnant mothers to foster a safe and nurturing environment for newborn babies
  • Berserker State School teacher Morgan (Darumbul Country) speaks about the Solid Pathways STEM Program and how it supports First Nations students to remain engaged with school and encourages them to graduate from Year 12
  • Shakoda from Darumbal Country in Rockhampton speaks about how the support from her community empowered her to foster a strong sense of self-belief and break through barriers to find success
  • Central Queensland Indigenous Development’s (CQID) Strong in Family Culture program (Darumbul Country) – James speaks about its programs that help children and young people involved in the child protection system to remain connected to their culture and family.

The report is part of the QFCC’s commitment to truth-telling, a fundamental component of the Queensland Government’s Path to Treaty Act 2023, which acknowledges the adverse effects of colonisation on First Nations Peoples.

The QFCC will continue to collect stories from First Nations communities and add to the website.

View the website at www.firstnationschildrensreport.com.au

 

Quotes attributable to Gamilaraay woman and QFCC Commissioner Natalie Lewis:

“Most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families are thriving, happy and healthy, but that’s not the story always told.

“The public discourse about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is often characterised by dysfunction and despair, which serves to perpetuate misconceptions and stereotypes about us and our culture.

“If the broader public and governments believe that is truly who we are, the responses that follow around policies and legislation have untold consequences for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.

“The QFCC has an obligation to find opportunities to dispel these untruths and celebrate the culture that has sustained Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for 65,000 years.

“The First Nations Children’s Report provides a platform to showcase the stories of strong and resilient Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, in their own words, and present a perspective that is not often shown.

“It features the stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families who are thriving despite the lasting challenges of structural racism and the impacts of colonisation.

“I am proud to celebrates the diversity, beauty and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families in Queensland and to show what’s possible when they are centred in all decisions that affect their lives.”

ENDS

 

For media information contact:

Kirstine O’Donnell | Queensland Family and Child Commission
Phone: 0404 971 164
Email:   media@qfcc.qld.gov.au