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.

Aunty Millie Penny AM, and Aunty Charmaine Pell provide cultural governance for the Ngulluk Moort, Ngulluk Boodja, Ngulluk Wirin research. Along with research team members, Larissa Jones and Carol Michie they meet regularly with an Aboriginal Community Advisory Group and a Professional Aboriginal Advisory Group, to receive advice and guidance for the research design and direction, and cultural input into the co-design of research tools and materials.

The Aboriginal Community Advisory Group is comprised of the following members: 

Fred Penny, Cheryl Phillips, Carmel Culbong, Janet Hansen, Neila Penny, Jadeatha Wallam, Brieanah Underwood, Justin Willaway-Narkle, Riekesha Underwood, Larissa Stevens-Smith, Cheyenne Egan Thorne and another Aboriginal community member. 

The Professional Aboriginal Advisory Group is comprised of the following members: Tony (Tonji) Hansen, Jinni Dingo, Abigail Ware, Renna Gayde, Jacinta Walton and two other Aboriginal community members.

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