Strong response to hear the views of Aboriginal children and young people

An audience of almost 300 people today heard the views of Western Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait children and young people at my seminar which outlined the key themes and recommendations of the consultation report “Listen To Us”.

The response to this consultation has been extremely positive, both in the community and among government and non-government agencies that have a role in supporting Aboriginal children and young people’s wellbeing.

Today’s seminar was the latest in a series of forums to present the findings from this report and advocate for its findings to be used to make practical improvements to policy and services.

Joining me in presenting the findings of the consultation were Kiara College student Desi, the founding Director of Pindi Pindi Centre for Research Excellence in Aboriginal Wellbeing Dr Cheryl Kickett-Tucker and Community Development Officers for the Swan Alliance Communities for Children, Jude Sorensen and Carol Ryder.

Listening to the hopes for the future expressed in the consultation and providing the support Aboriginal children and young people need to play an important role in the future prosperity of the State must be a collective goal.

There is an imperative to achieve truly integrated planning, funding and delivery of programs and services as well as for programs and services to be flexible and respond to the unique circumstances, needs, strengths and capacities of Aboriginal people and communities.

The priority of this project was to enable Aboriginal children and young people to have their voices heard. We cannot assume that we know what Aboriginal children and young people and communities need without first speaking with them.

Copies of the three consultation publications, Listen To Us, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Speak Out and This Is Me are available online. A video recording of today’s seminar will also be available later this month. To ensure you are advised when the video becomes available, subscribe to e-news.

Jenni Perkins
Acting Commissioner for Children and Young People