Our Vision & Strategy | Children's Ground

OUR VISION:

For all children and families to live with dignity and justice, free from economic poverty
For First Nations people in Australia to achieve their aspirations for their children to enjoy a life of opportunity, strong cultural identity, and personal wellbeing by having voice and agency over their social, cultural, political and economic future
For Australia to know our history and celebrate First Nations culture and future

Our Values

Creativity: We value creativity in thinking and practice. We draw on the knowledge of the oldest culture in the world and new global knowledge.
Ability: We know all children are brilliant and can acquire the skills to thrive in an ever-changing world.
Equity: We believe power, knowledge and opportunity should be shared by all people.
Agency: People have solutions to the challenges they face and their voices must be heard.
Openness: We value honesty, transparency and accountability in our work.
Family: We prioritise family and consider everyone who walks with us as family.
Disruption: We are disrupting the status quo to achieve justice and radical change.
Love: Love and respect create trust, spontaneity, compassion, laughter and humanity.

Our Theory of Change

Input

The Children’s Ground Approach...

Activities

...is implemented in collaboration with communities experiencing extreme disadvantage...

Outputs

...to bring about community, systemic and societal change over the course of a generation....

Impact

...so that children, families and community enjoy social, cultural, political, economic wellbeing.

Achieving our vision requires a significant change across all levels of society

Ending entrenched intergenerational disadvantage requires change in three arenas:

Community change

The voice of local people controlling their lives. Families walking alongside their children. Whole communities shifting from experiencing disadvantage to enjoying opportunity.

Systems change

Access to quality services that are inclusive and place-based which privilege first culture. Preventative and strengths-based system that meets the long-term needs of communities. A system of quality and excellence.

Society change

As a nation, to celebrate, know and build respect for people, cultures, histories and aspirations so all people are valued. First Nations history and culture are celebrated as central to our nation’s identity.

OUR STRATEGY

Children’s Ground has two key streams to achieve systems change over 25 years:

Delivery of the Children’s Ground Approach and building an evidence base
Research, Leadership and Policy

The Children’s Ground Approach

What makes Children’s Ground unique is our Approach. It is not just what we do (Services Platform), it is how we do our work (Practice Principles). Our Principles and our Integrated Services Platform are supported by five key areas of system reform to create the conditions for radical change.

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The Children’s Ground Approach is a 25-year strategy. Our approach addresses the key economic, social and cultural determinants needed for lasting change to prevent complex disadvantage and trauma.

Our Approach is unique and radical because it is:

Designed and delivered by First Nations people
Based on decades of knowledge, expertise and international evidence
Strengths-based and celebrates First Culture and knowledge in parallel with Western practices
Focused on prevention so that each child can enjoy a life of opportunity and well-being
Designed to prevent childhood trauma, suicide, unemployment, school failure, incarceration
Designed for quality early childhood and education, health, wellbeing and safety and lifelong economic security
In community, making sure kids who need the most get the very best and grow up in places of safety and with great opportunities
Building an evidence base of impact and outcomes to compel systems reform

We know children, families and communities are the experts of their own lives. It is their voice and their talent that will create change.

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