AN Indigenous educator has met with Federal Minister for Education, Simon Birmingham, to voice her concerns over childcare reforms, which she says removes the basic rights of self-determination for Indigenous families and violates their cultural safety.
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Director of Towri MACS, Courtney Glazebrook, has called for Multifunctional Aboriginal Children Services [MACS] to be separated from the Jobs for Families national reform, which began last month.
Under the reforms MACS and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family services had to transition to the new user pay funding model, which Ms Glazebrook says is not appropriate for a MACS organisation which is a community driven, not for profit service.
She said MACS services need to be separated from mainstream reform to enable appropriate leadership models and governance structures to be created to monitor the progression of Indigenous children.
“MACS services are governed by Indigenous people, for Indigenous children, an example of exercising self determination rights and advocacy for our children. I am questioning whose voices are being heard and valued in this policy reform, and whose are being silenced.”
Ms Glazebrook also put to the Minister MACS be exempt from the activity test, enabling Indigenous families to access a minimum of 24 hours a week in subsidised care. She also suggested a longitude study to provide insight into the importance of MACS services.
She said the concerns of lumping MACS with mainstream educational models was the Government’s failure to consider Indigenous Identity and self determination.
“We bring Indigenous children up strong in their identity, culture and connections to country. If we are serious about closing the gap in health and education we must turn our attention to services that target the needs of the community at a grassroots level,” she said.
Under the new funding model, Ms Glazebrook said the reforms also fail to address the complexity of Indigenous culture and Kinship placements, for example, where grandparents care for their grandchildren.
Having met with the Minister, she said she will continue to push for change to ensure Indigenous children are not disadvantaged by a Government who fails to consider an Indigenous perspective.
“It’s irresponsible for the Government not to listen.
“Indigenous people experience poverty far greater than any other on the western world and this has to be acknowledged. MACS services hold the key to reconciliation and providing the very best opportunity for our Indigenous children.”
