Article: Looking after Children with Disabilities in the NPY Lands

Looking after Children with Disabilities in the NPY Lands

Remote carers of children with a disability raised a number of issues that impacted on their ability to give children the best possible support and quality of life in NPYWC’s Tjungu Service’s new research “Looking after Children with Disabilities from the NPY Lands” .

The research found that many carers had to focus on providing basic needs such as where the next meal was coming from, before being able to consider greater therapy requirements of children.

A major finding was the number of children who had to leave the Lands because of the lack of support services- it was too hard for family carers, who often were frail or chronically ill themselves to support children as they grew.

Some families had been obliged to surrender their parental rights in order to get appropriate help for their children.

Families grieved for their children, who had in turn, lost family, language and culture. People asked for support to find out where the children were, and to visit them. ‘I just want to cuddle my son’, said one man.

Distance to services and the need for greater cultural awareness and relationship building from service providers were also among key findings.

The research was funded by the Australian Research Council and was a collaboration between NPYWC, Sydney University, Poche NT and the Centre for Remote Health NT.

Read the “Looking after Children with Disabilities in the NPY Lands” research

Youth

NPY Youth have Adelaide University in sight

NPYWC Youth Service supported 11 young people from Irruntju, Amata and Pukatja to attend and experience Adelaide University. For some, this was their first time in an aeroplane and a capital city.

The Youth Service acknowledges the value and potential of further education and employment pathways for remote Aboriginal youth and aims to make this an ongoing opportunity.

NPYWC’s Youth Program currently conducts a boarding school program targeting students aged 12- 16 to enrol, participate and complete education in boarding schools. The program provides education and information about secondary school options and support students practical travel needs as well as emotional support during their time at school.

In partnership with the University of Adelaide, the youth were able to see what a University is, what it is like to study there and what learning options you can undertake. The Wirltu Yarlu Aboriginal Education Unit at the University introduced the youth to the different faculties and presented lessons in science, physics, engineering and the arts, encouraging everyone to get involved.

Domestic & Family Violence

Anangu Domestic Violence worker talks about her job

This drawing is about women sitting down, they have got sadness coming out of them because of trauma and violence. They are scared, they don’t want to talk to anyone, they are alone inside. When they’re inside, they can stay there for maybe a year or longer before they come out.

If they want to come out they have NPYWC case workers and people like that around them. It takes a while but it’s people like family and NPYWC, who can help to make them feel safe. They remember the good times again. It’s hard for them to say what is wrong because they are so scared because of the trauma and the violence.

They come out when they are ready, it happens slowly when they have love, and kids and family around them supporting them. Then they come out of the shell and back on the road to being happy. It’s like they can grow into a beautiful flower with their family, culture and community around them.

Sometimes when we have bush picnics we are all shy but we still encourage each other to speak – it’s alright because we are safe.

This is part of the way we work; we find safe ways to talk to women. We don’t go straight up to someone; we go ‘sideways’. We watch and wait for the right time.

We do things like eating, sitting and talking together, this helps women to feel safe and then they can talk.

Dianne Brown, Anangu DFVS team member.

NPY Women's Council is grounded in, and continues to live and work on, the sovereign Lands of the Arrernte people, and the Aṉangu and Yarnangu people - the rightful custodians of the Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Lands.

Looking after Children with Disabilities in the NPY Lands

Read more