Our Vision

• First Nations people across Australia have self-determination and enjoy social, cultural, political and economic justice.
• Our next generation of children know and celebrate their culture and identity, have freedom of choice and expression and can live with opportunity, peace, harmony and wellbeing.
• Australians recognise our shared history and celebrate First Nations culture and strength.

Our Purpose

Achieve systemic reform over 25 years through the Children’s Ground Approach led by our First Nations people. Evidencing this approach for national reform. 

And through our approach, celebrate and uplift First Nations knowledge, creating equity and access to high quality education, health and economy in community for the next generation of children.  

How?

Recognising children, families, our Elders and our culture. Listening to the way we as First Nations people want to lead and then following that path. 

Upholding First Nations law and culture and the central place of land, kinship, responsibilities and knowledge from Apmerengetyele (from the land). 

Our Values

• Respect: for ourselves, for others, for all cultures and peoples.
• Inclusive and collective leadership: fairness, equity through shared power, knowledge and opportunity.  
• Self-determination and agency: we honour people’s power over themselves and their lives.
• Honesty: we value truth, both in our history as a country and in our present as an organisation –  in how we work with each other, and through transparency and accountability in our work.   
• Family: we value family and kinship and consider those who are part of our journey to be a part of our Children’s Ground family.  
• Bravery and disruption: we will disrupt the status quo to achieve justice and radical enduring change. We will be brave. 
• Love: we have love for our children and each other, laughter and compassion. 
• Creativity: we celebrate and harness the spark of imagination to create change, drawing on the knowledge of the oldest culture in the world and the newest.

Our Theory of Change

Input

The Children’s Ground Approach; our 25 year strategy. 

Activities

Led, implemented and evaluated by First Nations communities facing extreme injustice and inequity.

Outputs 

Change at a community, systemic and societal level over the course of a generation.

Impact 

Children, families, and communities across Australia enjoy social, cultural, political and economic justice and wellbeing.

Our vision and strategy aims to create change in three areas

Community Change 

First Nations people in our local communities have access to and lead quality, integrated, and culturally responsive services that create safety and wellbeing and are inclusive and place based. Every child enjoys wellbeing with their families. Whole communities shift from intergenerational inequity to intergenerational opportunity and wellbeing. 

Systems Change  

A national, integrated service delivery and policy system that meets the long-term needs of children, families and communities and builds on their identity, history, strengths and ambitions. A system that values First Nations knowledge systems. 

Societal Change 

First Nations history and culture are celebrated as central parts of our nation’s identity.