News and announcements
Keep up to date with news and events for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community of the Gold Coast.
More than 70 Elders and Seniors, community members and health partners came along to share a healthy meal and have a yarn about health education at Kalwun's Seniors Services Wellness Centre in Bonogin.
The Strong Mob, Strong Future Lunch, hosted by the Seniors Services team, was a great opportunity to bring our mob together to learn more about looking after our health in a relaxed and culturally safe environment.
Attendees enjoyed a nutritious lunch, prepared by Rob the Chef, while they listened to friendly, informative yarns from the Institute of Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH), Queensland Health and Kalwun’s Health and Wellbeing team.
The speakers focused on diabetes prevention, managing chronic health problems and lung and bowel cancer screening, making sure that the information was simple and easy to connect with.
Manager of Service Delivery at Kalwun’s Seniors Services, Kylie Allan, says the Strong Mob, Strong Future Lunch was a great turnout and events like these are important for our older mob.
“It was a great day of good food, good yarns, cultural connection and healthy futures for our mob,” Kylie says.
“Events like this are important because they bring our community together, create opportunities for connection and conversation, and support our Elders and Seniors to feel informed and confident about their health.”
IUIH, Queensland Health and Kalwun's Health and Wellbeing team delivering the health education to Elders and Seniors.
Rob the Chef chatting to Elders and Seniors about the nutritious lunch.
Elders, Seniors and healthcare partners listening to the health information sessions.
Led by community and shaped through co-design, a new culturally safe service is helping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families stay strong and together on the Gold Coast.
A community-led consultation process on the Gold Coast has shaped a culturally responsive model that is helping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families stay together, strengthen reunification and show what is possible when mob’s voices lead.
Community voices highlight the need for change
In June 2023, community members and services working alongside children and families were invited to join discussions on the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care on the Gold Coast.
The process involved three workshops, one-on-one yarning discussions and a community feedback session engaging a diverse group including community members, Elders, carers, Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety staff, not‑for‑profit organisations, mainstream services, and those working directly and indirectly with vulnerable families who may be at risk of contact with the child protection system.
Community perspectives on the statutory approaches to child safety, child protection and family reunification highlighted the need for more practical and culturally safe services that support families early, long before Child Safety intervention is required.
However, participants noted that, when implemented well, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle (CPP) remains a strong foundation for culturally safe decision-making and practice. CPP is a national framework that protects the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities by ensuring states and territories embed culture, family, Country and self-determination into all decision-making processes, policies and practice.
Throughout the workshops and discussions, community members and services highlighted that the Gold Coast area does have its strengths including, deep local family connections, strong cultural knowledge and sufficient access to medical and therapeutic supports.
The Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety (at the time known as Department of Child, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs) funded the project through Kalwun aligning with the Closing the Gap priority to reduce the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care.
From consultation to action through partnership
After a thorough and rigorous consultation process, a report, Caring for our Jarjums: It takes a community, was released presenting a co‑designed culturally responsive service model to family preservation and reunification on the Gold Coast.
Following the report, Child Safety gave Kalwun the opportunity to develop a new Indigenous Tertiary Family Intervention Service (ITFIS). This first-of-its-kind partnership marked an important shift, with Child Safety accepting the report’s findings and enabling Kalwun to lead the design and delivery of the program.
Two committees have been formed – the Executive Governance Committee and an Operational Governance Committee – made up of Elders, community members, mainstream organisations, frontline staff and senior leaders. Together, they provide ongoing oversight, cultural guidance and accountability.
The service model is grounded in an action learning framework to ensure ongoing learning, reflection and improvement, while keeping the principles of self-determination and cultural authority at the centre.
Building a culturally safe model of support
Before the ITFIS started, there was an establishment phase that focused on recruitment, policy development and embedding culturally informed practice. Once this phase was finalised, the ITFIS started on 1 July 2025, with case management beginning on 1 October 2025.
The ITFIS is still in its early stages, but Kalwun has already seen strong outcomes and a clear need for this service in community. The goal is to help families stay strong and get them the right supports early before problems grow and/or when Child Safety becomes involved.
Sitting within Kalwun’s Child, Youth and Family Services division, the ITFIS team walk alongside families, listen to their story, build the supports they need and ensure families lead in decision-making processes.
In practice this could look like, parenting support, guidance when working with Child Safety, cultural connection or personalised case plans tailored to family strengths. The approach is short-term and intensive focused to address immediate needs while building long-term skills.
How families can access this service
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in the Gold Coast area can access this program through self-referral by directly contacting Kalwun’s Child, Youth and Family Services or a referral from elsewhere including:
- Other Kalwun services
- GPs or health clinics
- Schools or education staff
- Mainstream services
- Child Safety
Honouring the voices that shaped this work
This groundbreaking partnership between community and government shows what is possible when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations are empowered to lead.
The success of ITFIS would not have been possible without the dedication of those who participated in the 2023 consultation. Their stories, knowledge, and commitment to helping our jarjums and families continue to guide this work.
In the near future we will be announcing a new program name for ITFIS to better reflect the service, its purpose and the families it supports.
As the ITFIS continues to grow, Kalwun remains committed to keeping mob’s voice and choice at the heart of all decision-making processes.
📣 SAVE THE DATE
💙 Beaudesert Family Fun Day is coming up soon, so make sure you save the date! 💙
Bring the whole mob along to enjoy free activities, yarn with local services, connect with community and celebrate what makes our community strong.
📅 Saturday 12 September
⏰️ 10am - 2pm
📍 Jubilee Park, Beaudesert
Also a friendly reminder that EOI's for stallholders close on Monday August 31st.
Submit your EOI by sending an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or calling 0417 641 821.
We can't wait to see you there 🎉
📣 SAVE THE DATE
We invite all our Elders and Seniors in community to join us for a delicious healthy lunch at our Strong Mob, Strong Future Lunch on August 12!
This event will provide valuable information to help you stay healthy, informed and connected.
Event details:
📅 Wednesday 12 August
⏰️ 10am - 1pm
📍 Senior Services, 118 Bonogin Road, Bonogin
Throughout the event there will be friendly yarns from:
- Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH)
- Queensland Health
- Kalwun
There will also be plenty of lucky door prizes 🎁
This is a FREE event for our Elders and Seniors, all you have to do is RSVP.
Make sure to RSVP by Friday August 7. Contact Kylie via email or phone to RSVP.
📧This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
📞07 5522 9197
📣 SAVE THE DATE
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day is coming up soon and we are inviting all of our jarjums and families to join us at our FREE event to celebrate the next generation 👨👩👧👦 🎉
Event details:
📅 Sunday 2 August
⏰️ 10am - 1pm
📍 Child, Youth and Family services: 14 Kortum Drive Burleigh Heads
Kalwun's Child, Youth and Family Services (CYFS) is organising transport from Stockland’s shopping centre.
These are the time slots for the pick ups and drop offs
Pick up from Stocklands -
• 9.45am
• 10.15am
• 10.30am
Drop off at Stocklands -
• 12.30pm
• 12.45pm
• 1.00pm
Make sure to RSVP by the 31st of July so that our team can pick you up and drop you off at Stocklands.
Spots are limited so make sure to RSVP soon.
Contact our CYFS team to RSVP by calling 📞 07 5520 8600
We can't to celebrate all of our jarjums!
