Stronger Communities for Children

About the program

Stronger Communities for Children (SCfC) is a place based, community led development initiative designed to give Aboriginal children the best possible start in life so that they grow up strong, healthy and confident. SCfC is delivered by 10 Aboriginal community controlled organisations in 11 remote communities and multipule homelands in the Northern Territory (NT). These organisations are provided with implementation support, and learning development opportunities.

SCfC is designed to ensure people in communities have a real say in determining what services they need and how they are delivered. SCfC resources and supports communities to own and lead local decision-making through cultural leadership in a Local Community Board (LCB).

SCfC contributes to implementation of the four Priority Reforms of Closing the Gap (CtG) and overall to 17 CtG outcomes areas. SCfC applies a collective impact model and aims to:

Improve family and community safety.
Increase support for the nurturing of young children.
Improve school readiness of young children.
Increase support for children and young people to attend school and gain an education.
Increase opportunities for children, young people and families to participate in cultural events.
Create a positive environment and build community capacity to lead, plan and prioritise services that children, youth and families need and will benefit from.
Build the capacity of First Nations organisations to deliver these services and increase local employment opportunities.

Participating communities and local leadership

Community	Facilitating Partner (funded provider)	Local Community Board
Atitjere	Children’s Ground	Atitjere Decision Making Group
Engawala	Children’s Ground	Decision Making Group
Galiwin’ku	Yalu Aboriginal Corporation	Galiwin’ku Local Community Board
Gunbalanya	Adjumarllarl Aboriginal Corporation	Karrimud Rowk
Lajamanu	Yandamah Indigenous Corporation	Lajamanu Jaru Jinta
Ltyentye Apurte	Atyenhenge-Atherre Aboriginal Corporation (AAAC)	Ltyentye Apurte Decision Making Group
Maningrida	Nja-marleya Cultural Leaders and Justice Group Ltd	Nja-marleya Cultural Leaders and Justice Group
Ngukurr	Yugul Mangi Development Aboriginal Corporation	Strongbala Pipul Wanbala Bois Komiti
Ntaria	Wanta Aboriginal Corporation	Western Aranda Leaders Group
Arlparra and Utopia Homelands	Urapuntja Aboriginal Corporation	Utopia Homelands Board
Wadeye	Thamarrurr Development Corporation	Kardu Luffuth Ngala Purringime

Local community Boards

A Local Community Board (LCB) has the central governance role in shaping the vision for SCfC in each community. The LCB assesses the needs and preferences of the community and develops a Community Plan detailing key strategies, culturally appropriate services and activities, what will be achieved and the partnerships and relationships needed to achieve outcomes.

The LCBs consist of men, women and young people with interest, experience and commitment. Local Boards have the cultural authority to articulate the vision for a better future for children, young people and families in their community. Community members can bring their new ideas and concerns to the LCB. In this way SCfC enables communities to make decisions and lead the way on the changes they want to see for their children, young people and families.

Facilitating Partners

Facilitating Partners (FPs) are Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs), funded by the Australian government and selected by each community to work closely with the Local Community Boards to implement their vision. They coordinate SCfC in each community. FPs develop the Community Plan with the LCB and then translate the plan into action. The transition to Aboriginal community control in SCfC has gradually taken place over the past 10 years. Now all FPs are ACCOs.

SCfC operates with a flexible funding model, enabling greater choice in the range of activities and services implemented in a community. The FP and a SCfC Coordinator, employed in each community, have a mix of responsibilities including: subcontracting local services, ensuring employment of local people, building relationships with other organisations and services, community planning, supporting and informing the LCB. They link SCfC aims and activities with the broader community service landscape.

The FP's relationship with the LCB is critical. The LCB has the central role in shaping the vision for children, young people and families in their community. The FP's role is to implement this vision.

Implementation Support Provider

The Implementation Support Provider Ninti One Limited is an Indigenous professional services organisation that has worked with FPs since SCfC started in 2013.

Ninti One works closely with Local Community Boards and Facilitating Partners providing comprehensive specialist resourcing for all the SCfC sites to foster learning and development. Their role includes supporting LCBs and FPs to identify the right services and activities for their needs; supporting community needs assessment and community planning; assistance with local governance (where requested), building financial and management capability; capturing data, evidence and local stories to enable communities and NIAA to monitor and measure local change and impact.

Ninti One organises annual Knowledge Sharing Seminars for all participating local boards and their FPs. Ninti One also provides advice to NIAA on SCfC design, delivery and approach.