The Department of Communities has provided the second unit of the former North Pre-School site as an Indigenous Hub. The first unit is the Kulila Indigenous Kindergarten and the hub is co located with Kulila.

Programs from the Hub include (but are not limited to) the following:

Hearing health and Speech Pathology.  Carbal provides an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker trained in Hearing Health to assess the children at Kulila Indigenous Kindergarten. 

Jolly Jarjums Playgroup:  Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families have negative responses to formal and didactic parenting courses, so the structure and content of this playgroup is deliberately relaxed and responsive with the objective of build trusting relationships with parents in a non-threatening and supportive environment reflective and responsive to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Deadly Readers. Deadly Readers is a “Let’s Read” program targeting the Indigenous families of Toowoomba. It combines the literacy component of the programme with a health check for the children participating. This assists in ensuring that health issues do not negatively impact on children’s learning

Proposed Future Programs:

Strong Fathers. This program would be a men’s group aimed at supporting higher levels of interaction between men and their children and partners, and seek to encourage greater engagement and more appropriate interactions. It would be based on the Newcastle University ’s Family Action Centre program and would use a range of strategies deemed most suited to the cultural context for Indigenous men in Toowoomba. It would be run by an Indigenous man in consultation with a broader reference group of Indigenous men from a range of support services in Toowoomba. It is envisaged that this would be a responsive program that would encourage greater connections between Indigenous men and their children. There is already an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker (male) interested in facilitating this programme if a suitable venue is available

Deadly Fun. Deadly Fun is a program aimed at supporting parents to play and interact with their children from Birth to Eight Years. Its objective is early brain development and the establishment of significant synaptic networks prior to the synaptic pruning that occurs at 3, and 6 years of age. Research clearly indicates the vital nature of early stimulation in the brain development of a child. It imparts developmental knowledge about children of different ages, via cards outlining developmental expectations written in simple English. A facilitator actually creates the bags, resources, games, songs, rhymes and interaction suggestions, with the parents within the context of a Parents Group. The objectives are to not only create a supportive environment to connect Indigenous mothers/fathers of young children, but also to, create a feeling of ownership of the program. By participating in the program, parents will contribute to making simple toys, using traditional art to create some of the games such as memory or lotto games, increase computer skills to create instruction cards and such. Once this program is resourced the activity bags could be loaned out through the Supported playgroup and Kulila Indigenous Kindergarten. The program would also require some parent group time to introduce the importance of early stimulation and play, and the parent’s vital role in this.

Transitions to School. This program would follow up on the “Healthy Children” program run with Carbal health workers coming into Kulila and doing healthy eating and health and hygiene experiences. It would occur in collaboration with the Principals of Harlaxton, Rockville, Wilsonton, Newtown, Harristown, Drayton, and East State Schools. The Health worker from Carbal would transport Kulila children to prearranged transition experiences at the school nominated by their parents. It aims creating supportive and collaborative networks between the Indigenous Hub and the schools which Indigenous children attend. Supporting Indigenous parents introductions into school, which can be intimidating, especially for first time parents. This could include parents, depending on their desires.