Ngulluk Moort, Ngulluk Boodja, Ngulluk Wirin (Our Family, Our Country, Our Spirit) Out-of-Home Care Study

Elder/Co-researchers: Aunty Millie Penny AM, Aunty Charmaine Pell. With permission from his family, we would like to acknowledge and pay our respects to Pop Allan Kickett Snr (RIP) for his invaluable contributions to the out-of-home care study as an Elder/Co-researcher.

Chief investigators: Associate Professor Brad Farrant, Dr Sharynne Hamilton, Clinical Associate Professor Raewyn Mutch, Associate Professor Carrington Shepherd, Carol Michie, Nicole Ilich

Associate investigator: Associate Professor Melissa O’Donnell

Study team: Aunty Millie Penny AM, Aunty Charmaine Pell, Dr Sharynne Hamilton, Larissa Jones, Carol Michie

Partners: Key Assets, Life Without Barriers, MacKillop Family Services

Project description:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are overrepresented in the out-of-home care sector. Many of these children are placed in the care of mainstream organisations and non-Indigenous foster parents which disrupts their connection to family, culture and Country. This project was developed in response to ongoing calls from Elders and community who have been seeking better cultural connection for their children in out-of-home care for decades.

Using the Ngulluk Koolunga Ngulluk Koort Elder- and community-led framework, we are working with the leadership and staff at foster care agencies and community members to provide information about cultural connections, and cultural activity and resources for Aboriginal children living in non-Indigenous care arrangements. We will also provide agency staff with culturally secure and evaluated training opportunities.

We are co-designing an innovative evaluation framework to establish a comprehensive evidence base on what works, what does not work, when and for who, and why.

Cultural governance is provided by the Ngulluk Koolunga Ngulluk Koort Child protection Elder/Co-researcher subgroup, Aunty Millie Penny AM and Aunty Charmaine Pell, who provide cultural guidance and advice to support the co-design of the project and its implementation.

An Aboriginal Community Advisory Group, and a Professional Aboriginal Advisory Group provide cultural guidance on the research design and direction and input into the co-design of research tools and materials.

Funder: NHMRC #2010384. The research was formerly known as Changing the Paradigm to Improve Outcomes for Aboriginal Children in Out-of-Home Care.

Ethics: WAAHEC APPROVAL NO. 1137