By Sara Fitzpatrick, Western Suburbs Weekly
THE Subiaco-based Telethon Institute for Child Health Research has received more than $2.5 million to develop new ways of improving the health and wellbeing of WA Aboriginal families.
Glenn Pearson, indigenous researcher and manager of the Institute’s Kulunga Research Network, said the money would help him and fellow researchers continue their important work focusing on young Aboriginal families across the State.
“We’ll look at the array of issues that face Aboriginal families, including why the majority of health and social services have failed to bring about any significant improvements in the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people,” he said
The group will also investigate whether cultural and other factors such as racism have stopped parents from accessing services.
Mr Pearson said he wanted to find ways to make these services better suited to indigenous families raising kids.
“These families want their kids to have a good education, a good job and the same choices as other Australians,” he said.
“For example, my own doctoral research project seeks to explore how the relationship between Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal people influences the way that child protection, primary education and community health services are provided and received.”
Mr Pearson said most of the researchers involved were indigenous, with a shared experience with those they wanted to help.