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SNAICC Chairperson blasts budget
SNAICC Chairperson, Muriel Bamblett, AM, said today that, “after raising expectations that they would do whatever it takes to the close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children the government has not made the necessary commitments to early learning and childcare. We need to close the gap between the pre election promises and the progress.” […]
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New welfare card comes under fire
A welfare debit card is expected to be unveiled in Treasurer Wayne Swan’s first budget tonight and will contain only a portion of a family’s welfare payment. The card will restrict purchases to necessities such as food and clothing in a $17 million scheme aimed at cracking down on negligent parents. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd […]
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PM announces tailored approach
After setting a target of 10 years to halve the literacy and numeracy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children, the Prime Minister has stated that there will be no a one-size-fits-all solution to the issue. The PM has also made a commitment to ensure that four-year-olds in remote Aboriginal communities have proper access to pre-school […]
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Talk Tactics
It’s important that children feel comfortable discussing things with their parents. Sometimes a parent may feel awkward or unsure about discussing drugs with their children; however there are ways to make it easier. Here are some tips from the Department of Health and Ageing. Make time for your kids. Take an interest in their lives […]
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Keep ‘Em Active
Name: Charlie Wilson When it comes to kids, Charlie Wilson should know what he’s talking about. After all, he’s got five of them! Charlie and his partner Barbara are the proud parents of Charlie, 11; Lachlan, 9; Andrew, 8; Ottalie, 3; and Nazareth, 1½. “Sure, it’s hard work, but I love it,” Charlie says with […]
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A Growing Concern
Drinking alcohol can damage your unborn baby. Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is brain damage and other disorders that can be caused to children through women drinking during their pregnancy. This is because alcohol interferes with the normal development of a foetus (the baby growing in the womb). FASD includes: Foetal alcohol syndrome Growth retardation; […]
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Flying Solo
Name: Catherine Pross Being a single parent is never easy, but becoming a single mother at just 20 years of age is a tough situation. Catherine Pross was only 20 when her relationship with the father of her son, Tindah, broke down. “She was absolutely shattered by it,” says Catherine’s mother Christine. “She was so, […]
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Hot Cars Kill
If you’re going to leave your car, take your kids with you. Children can die in hot cars. According to Kidsafe (the Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Australia), on a typical summer’s day the temperature inside a parked car can rise to as much as 30 to 40 degrees higher than the outside temperature. That […]
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Super Mum
Name: Kerrie Patterson Motherhood is about as challenging and demanding a responsibility as you could find. No matter what you have on your plate in terms of work or other commitments, no one can deny that raising a family is a full-time job in itself. Many mothers, however, raise their children while juggling other responsibilities. […]
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Life Lines
Suicide is not the way out. Don’t be shame to ask for help. Suicide used to be rare among traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Sadly, it has become a lot more common in recent years. In fact, suicide now occurs more frequently in Aboriginal communities than among non-Indigenous people. Suicide is more common […]
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Practiced Parents
The program, called Strong Families, is being run through the Apunipima Health Council, who recently received a three-year grant from the government to fund the project. Apunipima is an Indigenous health organisation that has mainly focussed on addressing chronic disease in Indigenous Cape York communities. However, through their work, health workers identified gaps in services […]
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Mentor For Young And Old
Name: Aunty Honor Cleary In traditional language, ‘yelangi’ means ‘meeting place’. At the Yelangi Pre-school at Indooroopilly in Brisbane, Aboriginal kids have been meeting Aunty Honor Cleary for more than 25 years. Not only does Honor help the “little people”, as she likes to call them, the centre is also a major resource for the […]
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Chris Sarra
Story: Chris Sarra The people of Cherbourg in Queensland have witnessed a remarkable transformation at their primary school over the past five years. Cherbourg State School principal Chris Sarra doesn’t like to say it’s all down to him – he credits much of the radical change to his excellent teachers and to the students themselves […]
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Laurel Is Tops
Name: Laurel Hutchinson Laurel Hutchinson of Kempsey is already raising eight kids but she doesn’t mind if more of them drop in or come to live with her for a while – she just really, really loves kids. Laurel, who turns 34 this month, has packed a lot in to her busy life, but she […]
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Jodie’s A Super Mum
Name: Jodie Bell Jodie Bell leads a very busy life. Yet she’s never too busy to lend a helping hand to friends and family in need. “I’m the rock of the family,” she says. In fact, this mother of two often goes out of her way to pick up friends’ kids on the way to […]
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Stir Crazy (ADHD)
Healthy Vibe takes a look at a largely misunderstood condition. A lot of us may have heard of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but very few of us understand what it really is. What is ADHD? People who suffer from ADHD have trouble concentrating on things like school work or when there’s lots going on […]
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