CRCAH project no: SE213
Administering organisation
Charles Darwin University
Project leader
Gary Robinson
Contact details
Email:gary.robinson@cdu.edu.au
Team members
- Institute of Child Health Research, UWA
- NT Department of Health and Families
- NT Department of Employment, Education & Training
Funding sources
- CRC for Aboriginal Health
- Charles Darwin University
- Dept of Family, Housing. Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FAHCSIA)
- NT Department of Employment, Education and Training (DEET)
In-kind contributors
- Charles Darwin University
- Institute of Child Health and Community Services
- NT Department of Employment, Education and Training
Project summary
The Let’s Start project developed from an earlier project partly funded by the CRC for Aboriginal and Tropical Health, called the Tiwi Life Promotion Evaluation Project. This was the first attempt to adapt and implement a resilience-promoting intervention on the Tiwi Islands. The CRC for Aboriginal Health is now contributing substantial funding to an extension of the Commonwealth-funded project: Let’s Start: Exploring Together for indigenous Preschool Children (referred to here as Let’s Start).
The pre-school version of this project has been redeveloped for Indigenous pre-school and early primary school-aged children and their parents. The aim is to consolidate the research framework; extend the engagement of the Let’s Start project with the Indigenous community in Darwin and Darwin rural; to extend the engagement of the project with the health and community services sector, including child welfare; to develop materials and resources for Early Intervention in the Indigenous community, using learnings arising out of Let’s Start.
The program promotes positive parent–child interaction, improves children’s social and emotional competencies and helps build their capacity to negotiate the transition to school. The program is based on a manual that sets out structured activities for children and parents over 8–10 weeks of a school term, and is delivered by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous group leaders. About 40 schools in the Darwin, Darwin rural regions, at Jabiru and on the Tiwi Islands are now taking part in the program.
Summary of outcomes
Measured program outcomes to be:
- Improved parenting, reductions in parental anxiety
- Improved parent-child interaction
- Improved children’s social skills
- Reduction in identified problem behaviours as reported by teachers and parents
- Improved engagement of fathers/male carers
Launch of Evaluation Report on 17 March 2010.
Timeline
This project was completed in December 2010.
Related links and information
- 'Fresh funding allows Let's Start to grow', Wangka Pulka, December 2011, pp. 9–10.
- Robinson, G., Tyler, W., Jones, Y., Silburn, S. & Zubrick, S. 2012, Context, Diversity and Engagement: Early Intervention with Australian Aboriginal Families in Urban and Remote Contexts, Children and Society, vol. 26, issue 5, pp. 343-355.
- Fact Sheet: Let's Start: Partnering with Families and Communities March 2010
- Fact Sheet: Enhancing the Social and Emotional Wellbeing of Aboriginal Children and Families March 2010
- Flyer for launch of Let's Start: Exploring Together Preschool Program Evaluation Report, March 2010
- Robinson, G., Zubrick, S. R., Silburn, S., Tyler, W., Jones, Y., D’Aprano, A., McGuinness, K., Cubillo, C., Bell, M. & Stock, C. 2009, Let’s Start: Exploring Together. An early Intervention Program for Northern Territory Children and Families. Final Evaluation Report, Darwin: School for Social and Policy Research, Institute of Advanced Studies, Charles Darwin University.
More information, resources and publications available at:
- Let's Start page at Charles Darwin University
- Let's Start page at Menzies School of Health Research
- Promising Practice Profiles: Let's Start: Exploring together Indigenous Preschool Program (AIFS Children and Families Clearinghouse Australia)