For anyone that's going to want to come into this field, it's our job to make sure that the wellbeing of the child in all aspects is going to be met.
For the kids to be healthy and safe, we're not always just looking at germs, washing hands and things like that. They need to be safe within themselves.
Female 1: Now inside the fingers.
So they need to know that this is a safe place for them to create, imagine and to do whatever they want to do. So if there's dysfunction in the community, it doesn't impact in that centre. We should be able to provide learning and rich experiences for them that, you know, in some cases might take their mind away from what's happening at home.
Female 1: All right, should we sing the happy birthday song to you? Ready?
[SINGING HAPPY BIRTHDAY]
Female 1: Okay blow out your candles.
Having that connection with those children, listening to those kids, they're going to feel valued, they're going to feel they're important.
Singing: What is your name, what is your name, what is your name, your name, your name. If your name is David, stand up, if your name is David, choose two friends. Okay Paul and who? Gabriel. Is it Gabriel?
Child: Yes.
So when they feel valued and important, then that's only going to encourage them to voice their opinions. When they voice their opinions, that's when they're going to make changes.
I believe that us as Indigenous people, we don't normally talk about our feelings, we just get on with it. We don't naturally go out and say we're happy and this was making me feel great. And this is an issue that we've been trying to develop with the kids to be able to express themselves.
Female 1: Say good morning everyone.
Child: Good morning everyone.
Female 1: Everyone say?
Children: Good morning Julia.
Female 1: What did you do on the weekend?
Child: I went fishing.
Female 1: You went fishing? Who helped you catch the fish?
Child: My dad.
Female 1: Your dad.
You know, just through conversation with the children, talking about you know, healthy eating. We actually investigated healthy eating and why it's important for us to eat healthily. And it's not just about me telling the kids, it's about them too you know, finding this information out for themselves.
You know, inviting the Community Health in as well, and they talked about nutritious food and why it's important for them to eat that stuff.
If someone's going to hurt you, you tell them stop it, I don't like that. That's one of our rules here. And it's funny, because the kids are using it at home, and so are the staff. But it's only going to set the foundation skills and levels for when they get older.
It's also the rules that they have here at the centre and the skills that they're learning in regards to them being healthy and happy, strong little individuals. They take it home, and so hopefully that rubs off on their family.
And when children leave from here happy, we've done our job.