Monday, 10 February 2020 Relationships Australia South Australia hosted Yara Palti to celebrate the start of a new service, Ngartuitya Family Group Conference. This service is for families where the Department for Child Protection have concerns for the wellbeing and safety of a child or young person.
At the Ngartuitya (nar too it yah) service, families will take the lead in the planning and making decisions about how their children will be loved, protected and parented. Ngartuitya is from the Kaurna language and means ‘for the Children’.
Yara Palti – ‘Yara’ expresses the notions of Individuality and Reciprocity and ‘Palti’ means Ceremony – was an incredibly powerful demonstration of the meaning of reciprocity and making all stakeholders accountable for the outcomes of this important service.
The incorporation of the Sister Baskets in the Ceremony and the handing out the petition written by E.N. Kropinyeri at Point Macleay to repeal the Aborigines (Training of Children) Act of 1923 which was delivered to the Governor/Parliament of SA by John Stanley, Willy Rankine and Leonard Campbell makes us accountable for what has happened and continues to happen to families. It was a moving part of the Ceremony.
The petition and Sarah Decrea’s words at the Ceremony reminds us that ‘mother’s love’ is an important part of working with families.
The Sister Baskets were given to Cathy Taylor, Chief Executive Dept for Child Protection, April Lawrie, Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People and Claire Ralfs, CEO Relationships Australia South Australia to remind them in their daily work to use every opportunity to honour the meaning of the baskets and to continue to work for better outcomes for children.
Thank you to everyone who attended and witnessed the giving and receiving of the Sister Baskets. A special thank you to Uncle Lewis Yerloburka O’Brien, Moogy Sumner, Michael O’Brien, Katrina Power, and our Aboriginal Leaders Jo Willmott – Practice Manager Aboriginal Programs and Policy, and Sarah Decrea – Practice Leader Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Families, for making this important Ceremony happen.
View photos from the event here.
View the petition here: Petition_YaraPalti
Service Enquiries
All referrals for this service can only come from Social Workers at the Department for Child Protection (DCP).
Visit the Ngartuitya Family Group Conference Service page here.