Geraldton Streeties Aboriginal AFLDM program receives additional funding to reduce the number of kids in care

A local program to help Indigenous children stay connected with their families, and reduce their over-representation in the child protection system, has received a $1.2 million funding boost. The Aboriginal Family Led Decision Making (AFLDM) pilot program launched in October last year in the Mid West and Gascoyne to support Aboriginal families and ensure their children felt safe and connected in the community. The extra funding will continue to see the initial 12-month pilot program delivered until at least mid-2024. The State Government-funded initiative found that during the program, participating families reported they felt their voices were being heard and they were better able to collaborate with the Department of Communities. AFLDM involves either pre-birth planning, intensive family support and families working towards their children returning home safely. The program led by Geraldton Streetwork Aboriginal Corporation, or Streeties, in the Midwest-Gascoyne currently supports 12 families while Wungening in Mirrabooka works with nine. Geraldton Streeties CEO Chloe Collard said the pilot program was successful and provided an insight into what worked to tailor it to the region. “The work we’ve been doing has been centred around supporting families who are involved with child protection,” she said. “We’re really excited to stay in this space because we’ve seen what AFLDM can do.” With National Child Protection Week running until September 11, the State Government has committed to extending the program. There was a 4.7 per cent drop in the number of Statewide children in care in the past year, and a 3.3 per cent reduction in the number of Aboriginal children in care. Ms Collard said the program supported Geraldton families to ensure they had a plan in place to keep their children safe. “We had 10 or more family members around the table and supported the family to create a strategy and that allowed a little two-year-old to be returned to their family,” she said. Child Protection Minister Simone McGurk said the program supported families to have a greater say in the decisions impacting their children and helped keep families together. “The feedback we’ve heard in the first year indicates families are seeing real benefits,” she said. “Having independent Aboriginal convenors to support families at risk of child protection intervention — or those working towards their children returning safely home — is helping build greater trust and connection between families and child protection staff.”