AbSec’s (Aboriginal Child, Family and Community Care State Secretariat) Chief Executive Officer Tim Ireland said workshops are being held all around the country because more than 6000 Aboriginal children in NSW have been removed from their parents by authorities and placed into out-of-home care.

Aboriginal children are more than 10 times more likely to be removed from their families than their non-indigenous peers.

“With the number of Aboriginal kids in care rising each year, it’s so important that we protect their right to their culture,” Mr Ireland said.

“It’s bad enough that our kids are being torn away from their parents. The last thing they need is to be torn from their cultural identity and the broader community as well.”

AbSec’s Cultural Connections Workshop is a five-hour, face-to-face seminar for child support practitioners working with Aboriginal children.

The Nowra meeting is on Monday, April 23 at Quest, Nowra.

Run by AbSec’s Aboriginal staff, the workshop equips workers with the skills and knowledge to create cultural support plans for Aboriginal children in care.

It also focuses on building interpersonal skills to help non-Aboriginal workers consult effectively with Aboriginal families and communities.

AbSec is the NSW peak body for Aboriginal children and families.

“In NSW, all Aboriginal children in care are required to have a complete cultural support plan, outlining how they will remain connected to their culture and community while they’re living out of home,”  Mr Ireland said.

“Yet many of the workers expected to create these plans have little knowledge of Aboriginal culture themselves, and they feel left in the dark without a frame of reference.

“Our goal is to support the support workers and create a minimum standard, so they can feel confident in helping Aboriginal kids in their care.

“At the end of the day it’s all about the kids, and what’s best for them.”

Bookings are now open for Cultural Connections Workshops across NSW at http://www.absec.org.au/workshop.