International experience has taught us that changing children’s lives requires work to develop and strengthen families and communities. So too, our work with Indigenous Australia aims to benefit children by helping their families and communities to meet their needs.

To be healthy, to learn through play and other active stimulation, and to be cared for in a safe and secure environment: research confims that these opportunities are crucially important for children, and access to them determines lifelong outcomes.

But many children in remote Aboriginal communities have few opportunities to participate in early childhood care and development programs. Sometimes this is because programs are unavailable and other times they're culturally inappropriate. Altogether, this results in learning being sporadic and ineffective.

In partnership with the Central Land Council, World Vision is implementing the Warlpiri Early Childhood Care and Development Project for the Warlpiri Education and Training Trust, to improve early childhood care and education services in four Warlpiri communities in the Northern Territory.

Clean, safe and secure housing is also important in creating an environment where children can thrive. And there is evidence to show that home ownership has many social and psychological benefits for Indigenous families, just as it does for other Australian families.

In far north Queensland, World Vision is working with the Mapoon Aboriginal Shire Council and Indigenous Business Australia to design and implement a home ownership scheme which will, for the first time, enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this community to buy their own homes.

These are some examples of the ways World Vision is working in partnership with Indigenous communities to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have safe and healthy futures just like those enjoyed by the majority of Australians.