SNAICC Newsletter – April 2026

Federal Budget falls short for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families

This year’s Federal Budget included some welcome commitments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, including $218.3 million to support the first actions under Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices, the national plan to end family, domestic and sexual violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children.

For ACCOs and community-led services, this investment can support the work already happening on the ground to prevent violence, keep families safe and strong, support healing, and deliver culturally grounded programs that keep children connected to family and community. The Budget also included funding that could strengthen family and children’s services.

But SNAICC has made clear that the Budget still falls short of what is needed.

For communities, ACCOs and services working with children and families every day, this was a missed opportunity to properly back the solutions already on the table.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have been clear about what works: early support, culturally safe services, strong families, and programs designed and led by community. These are the solutions that keep children connected to family, community, culture and Country.

But too often, the systems meant to support children and families remain underfunded, fragmented and crisis-driven.

This Budget leaves major gaps, including no funding commitment to secure the future of the Early Years Support program, and ongoing questions about Inclusion Support and how Thriving Kids will support ACCO-led services.

Governments cannot keep asking communities to carry the burden without properly investing in the solutions communities have already designed.

Lasting change comes when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people lead, when services are grounded in culture, and when investment follows genuine partnership and self-determination. Now governments must work with ACCOs to deliver the reforms needed to change the trajectory for our children and families.

Supporting Healing for Families

In Mparntwe and across Australia, ACCOs know what helps communities and families heal: services that are culturally informed, grounded in kin, connection and Country and culture. Supporting Healing for Families (SHFF) Mparntwe/Alice Springs was co-designed in 2025 with local service providers and stakeholders to back that work — building stronger connections between services so families can move through healing supported on every side.

Tangentyere Council Aboriginal Corporation is leading the work in community, developing a model of person and family-centred healing plans.

From 14–16 April 2026, the SNAICC Special Projects Team was in Mparntwe/Alice Springs, joining a series of community engagement and training activities grounded in cultural healing approaches.

The workshop transferred weaving knowledge to the Tangentyere Women’s Safety Group, Young Mums Group and Future Yayes Program, so the practice can continue and be taught to other women in community. SNAICC also partnered with Tangentyere Council Aboriginal Corporation to deliver pilot training focused on the strengths-based elements that foster safety and wellbeing. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive:

• 100% of participants reported increased understanding of duty bearers and children’s rights
• 100% felt more confident to have yarns with children about safety
• 100% felt more confident to work with children and community or build safe support networks

In their own words:

“What safety means, discussions, centred around Aboriginal young people and the cultural differences”

“Really enjoyed this training, felt very trauma informed and facilitation was kind and softly challenging. Felt like being brought into the conversation was something that the group really valued”

Stronger relationships across services. On the final day, SNAICC facilitated a ‘ways of working’ workshop between Akeyulerre Aboriginal Corporation, Tangentyere Council Aboriginal Corporation and Alice Springs SARC. The workshop strengthened the partnership between Akeyulerre and the Tangentyere Young Mums Group coordination team, opened the way for shared weaving skills, and created space to bring groups together around shared resources.

This local approach supports the priority in our Strategic Plan 2025–2028 of growing and supporting a stronger community-controlled sector to deliver better services for our children and families.

National Child and Family Investment Strategy sets clear direction, now governments must deliver

People working across child and family services see every day what keeps children safe: strong families, early support, and culturally safe care. Yet too often, the system responds only once families are in crisis.

In April, SNAICC released the National Child and Family Investment Strategy, a landmark roadmap to shift investment towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled solutions.

Developed under Safe and Supported, the Strategy sets a clear direction for governments to move away from crisis-driven child protection responses and towards prevention, early intervention, and healing-informed, culturally safe supports delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs).

For those in early childhood education and care, family support, and community services, this reflects what you already know works. But the 2025 Family Matters Report shows how under-resourced this work remains — just 16 cents in every child protection dollar goes to the family support services that keep children safely at home.

The Strategy matters because it sets a clear pathway to rebalance the system, away from crisis and towards the early support ACCOs have long known makes the difference.

Now, SNAICC is calling on all governments to commit, and to work in genuine partnership with ACCOs to deliver the reforms needed to change the trajectory for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.

BEEF Information Session

For ACCOs working to expand early learning in their communities, the challenge is rarely identifying the need — it’s having the infrastructure to meet it. The Building Early Education Fund (BEEF) is designed to help close that gap, with up to $1 billion in capital funding to build, expand and upgrade early learning services across Australia.

A dedicated ACCO Capital Grants stream sits within the Fund, focused on strengthening community-controlled provision through new centres, extensions and fit-outs in areas of greatest need. The ACCO round will be invitation-only, with invitations informed by community need, project readiness and sector knowledge.

A small-scale capital grants round is currently open, supporting projects of up to $3 million that can quickly expand access to early learning. Applications close 29 May 2026.

Earlier this month, over 100 participants joined a SNAICC information session on the BEEF, working through eligibility, application processes and the practical support available to ACCOs as they consider the opportunities.

For more on the Fund and what it could mean for your service, read our fact sheet here. You can catch up on the full session below:

Click here for the BEEF Fact Sheet

Early Years South Australia update

ACCO ECEC services across South Australia hold deep knowledge about what culturally strong early learning looks like for their children and families.

Our team has been spending time across the state, listening and starting the slower work of building strong, respectful relationships — because the strength of any future network will rest on those connections.

This is early-stage work. We’re taking time to understand local contexts and learn from the strengths, knowledge and aspirations services are already bringing to their communities.

A key focus is our partnership with Social Ventures Australia and services to co-develop an Early Years Framework. The process is grounded in collaboration, so the Framework reflects community-led approaches and supports culturally strong early childhood education and care for our children and families.

Looking ahead, services will soon come together for monthly Network and Knowledge Sharing Meetings — space to share what’s working, learn from one another, and strengthen connections across the state. Over time, this will support the growth of a strong South Australian network of ACCO ECEC services that is connected, collaborative and led by community.

We’re looking forward to continuing this work alongside services, walking forward together for strong outcomes for our children, families and communities.

Bushland Animal Yoga Cards

Educators working in early childhood settings know how much can happen in a child’s first five years, and how much culture, connection and Country shape who children become. The new Bushland Animal Yoga Cards, developed by SNAICC’s Early Years Support team, are designed to back that work.

The cards take children on a playful, meditative journey that strengthens connection to culture, self, land and Country. Inspired by the shapes and movements of Australian bushland animals, the poses encourage physical activity, mindfulness and social connection, while supporting children’s holistic development in early childhood settings.

Yoga practice in the early years supports children’s wellbeing by promoting calm, self-regulation and healthy expression of feelings. It strengthens physical development through improved flexibility, balance, strength and coordination, and builds concentration, focus and confidence.

The set includes 12 double-sided yoga cards featuring poses inspired by goannas, wombats, kookaburras, koalas, kangaroos and other Australian bushland animals, an overview of the cards, and a structured 20-minute lesson plan to support educators in introducing yoga activities in early childhood settings.

Each card also includes a dedicated space for the local First Nations word for that animal, an invitation for children and educators to deepen cultural learning together. We encourage educators to engage with local Elders or community members to learn the names of each animal if you are unsure.

The Bushland Animal Yoga Cards align with the Early Years Learning Framework, supporting all five outcomes through culturally responsive, play-based and intentional teaching practices.

This is the first resource in a new series of Early Years Support classroom materials, with more to come throughout the year. Orders are now open, with a maximum of four sets per order to support broad access across the sector.

Order your Bushland Animal Yoga Cards

Co-designing the National Transition Framework: Working Group Gathering

The transition of child and family services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community control is one of the most significant reforms underway in the sector — and getting it right means working through it in partnership, with the organisations leading transition in their own jurisdictions.

Earlier this month, the National Transition Framework (NTF) Working Group came together face-to-face and online to progress the co-design of the Framework. The day brought together members from Life Without Barriers (LWB), Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation (TAC), Queensland Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak (QATSICPP), and SNAICC’s Early Childhood Development, Connected Beginnings, and Sector Engagement and Innovation, Transformation program areas to shape a shared national approach to transition and transformation.

Key discussions focused on defining the purpose and scope of the NTF, grounded in alignment with Safe and Supported, Closing the Gap Priority Reform 2 and Family Matters. Members explored transition pathways across jurisdictions — what’s working, what isn’t, and what’s missing.

Reflecting on the day, members spoke to the strength of face-to-face and online time together, with “no wasted time” and space for “valuable work on the National Transition Principles and Framework.” Members spoke of the benefit of “a well-structured day,” and shared a strong sense of “momentum for the next steps” and “phases of work ahead.”

For more information, visit our Sector Transformation page.

Read the Transformation Principles

Project BIRD

For workers supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander survivors of childhood sexual abuse, how a first disclosure is met can shape the whole path of recovery. Project BIRD (Believe, Inquire, Respond to Disclosures) was built to back workers in those moments — culturally responsive, trauma informed training co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders and leaders working in this field.

BIRD was developed to bridge a long-standing gap in formal qualifications around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander childhood sexual abuse, and the BIRD Research report is a significant contribution to the evidence base for this work. It’s delivered under the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse, as part of the First National Action Plan.

The pilot is running across five locations nationally, with workshops already held in nipaluna/Hobart (February) and Naarm/Melbourne (March).

What participants have said:

“The training reinforced the importance of responding to disclosures with belief, validation, and empathy, and how a person’s first response can significantly influence a survivor’s recovery. I also found the focus on trauma-informed communication and challenging common myths about sexual assault especially impactful, as it encouraged greater self-reflection and awareness of unconscious bias. Overall, the training strengthened my confidence in providing safe, supportive, and survivor-centred responses.”
— Melbourne BIRD participant, March 2026

“I have found this training has been very helpful and beneficial on both a personal and professional level. I am so grateful to have been able to be a part of this training and have such an amazing culturally safe team run it. Thank you to the B.I.R.D. Team — all of you are beautiful 🧡”
— Hobart BIRD participant, February 2026

Three more workshops are coming up in 2026, and places are filling fast:

• Cairns: 5–8 May
• Broome: 25–29 May
• Canberra: 9–12 June

For more information, contact training@snaicc.org.au.

Strengthening the Child and Family Service system — NT ACCOs and community, we want to hear from you

ACCOs across the Northern Territory have long been telling governments how child and family services need to work to be effective for Aboriginal communities — culturally grounded, community-led, and resourced for prevention rather than crisis. The NT Child and Family Sector Reform Project is a chance to embed that knowledge into how services are designed, funded and delivered.

The project is developing three connected reforms:

• a Sector Strengthening Plan
• a new Commissioning Framework for the NT Government’s procurement of child and family services
• a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Framework

Together, these are designed to back NT ACCOs to lead service delivery, strengthen cultural safety, and shift investment toward prevention and early support for families. The work is evidence informed and aligned with commitments under Closing the Gap, including shared decision-making and Aboriginal community control.

The reforms will only be as strong as the voices that shape them. Throughout 2026, the project team will engage with NT-based ACCOs and communities through forums, yarning sessions, workshops and interviews, so that what comes out of this work reflects community priorities, strengths and aspirations.

If you’d like to be involved, share ideas, or stay across the work as it develops, the project team would like to hear from you. Get in touch at policyprojects@snaicc.org.au.

Other engagement opportunities will be shared as the project progresses.

ECCDPP Update

Shared decision-making sits at the heart of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap — and the Early Childhood Care and Development Policy Partnership (ECCDPP) is one of the places it’s put into practice, bringing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership directly into national reform on early childhood education, child protection and family supports.

In early March, the Partnership met on Palawa Country at Piyura Kitina/Risdon Cove in lutruwita/Tasmania for its thirteenth meeting. Co-chaired by Catherine Liddle and Kylie Crane (Australian Government Department of Education), it brought together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders, peak bodies and government representatives to progress shared reform priorities.

The meeting opened with a Welcome to Country from trawlwoolway pakana woman Niara Mansell, manager of Pakana Kanaplila, who shared the history of the Palawa people and their connection to kunanyi/Mount Wellington.

The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre presented Nukara: Keeping Our Children and Families Safe and Together a community-led model to transition child safety responsibility to ACCOs. Along with representatives from the Tasmanian government, the presentation highlighted recent reforms that moved mainstream family violence funding moved into a flexible arrangement with TAC, supporting a holistic, ACCO-led approach.

Nukara means ‘to weave a basket’ in palawa kani and the partnership reflected on Nukara and the need to work together to transform funding models for ACCOs.

Learn more:

• Read the full Meeting 13 Outcomes
• Visit the ECCDPP webpage
• Find out more about SNAICC’s Closing the Gap work
• Read the ECCDPP 2026 workplan

Support us to support our children

As a not-for-profit entity, we rely on your support to help us achieve the work we do for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.

By making a donation, you are promoting the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Your contributions make a difference in people’s lives helping to build stronger, more empowered communities and brighter futures for our children and families.

Your support enables us to focus on the best and most strategic ways to make meaningful change for our communities. We achieve this by advocating for reform in policy and practice areas of child protection and early years education and championing the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.

Make a tax-deductible donation today and help us build stronger, empowered communities and better futures for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.

Donate Today

SNAICC acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connections to land, waters, culture and communities.
We pay our respect to Elders both past and present.