MacKillop is currently celebrating National Children’s Week which acknowledges the talents, skills, achievements and rights of children.
The theme for Children's Week 2020-21 (Saturday 23 October to Sunday 31 October), is Children have the right to choose their friends and safely connect with others, which is drawn from Article 15 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
To commemorate National Children’s Week, we have put together a resource to help connect to Aboriginal culture.
The Fostering little people's culture activity book teaches children why growing up with a strong sense and knowledge of culture, family connections and identity is imperative. Children with a strong cultural identity are more likely to be strong and resilient adults who are better able to cope with life’s joys and sorrows.
The book provides information that supports a greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture for all of us, as well as specific information on the importance of culture for Aboriginal children in care.
You can download your own copy of the activity book using the link below:
For children to ‘have the right to choose their friends and safely connect with others’, they must first learn about who they are and where they come from. An innovative program called Nikara’s Journey, which is presented by the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA), is leading the way to helping both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal carers with the knowledge to care and support Aboriginal children.
Nikara's Journey is a two-day online workshop that provides carers of Aboriginal children with introductory knowledge and understanding to assist them in supporting the best interests of Aboriginal children who are in their care.
The training follows the story of Nikara and her foster parents as they learn how to support Nikara, keep her safe, respect her identity and keep her connected to her culture, family and community.
MacKillop foster carer Erin Collard, took part in Nikara’s Journey training to help her guide one of the children she looks after to connect with his culture.
The two-day training program was a revelation and it really opened my eyes to intergenerational trauma and its resulting impacts that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities can live with
“As someone who is guiding a little boy to learn about his culture and identity, the insights I gained from Nikara’s Journey training have been invaluable. I’ve learned he is an integral part of his community and how important it is for him to grow up knowing who he is, where he is from and who he is connected to.”
Erin thinks everyone should take part in programs like Nikara’s journey and says she would like to see the program taught at all schools.