Wellington City Libraries Palm Tree Blossoming of Our Children - Kia Puawai Ngā Tamariki - 10th Australasian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect

"Options For Pacific Parenting" - Filifiliga


 

Download this paper - 131KB PDF

Download this presentation - 477KB PDF

Author

To'alepai Louella Thomsen-Inder

Speaker

To'alepai & Moira Lafaele (Pacific Researcher)

Organisation

Pacific Trust Canterbury, Christchurch

Aim

The options for pacific parenting program was created following exhaustive exploration of programs available nationwide that could be used in work with Pacific families where the key aim was to ensure that abusive parenting was replaced with positive parenting. The result is a programs that uses a resource we have entitled "Options". It is not meant to be used as a defined and structured program that caters for all but to provide a basic format that allows for diversity and flexibility for the many types of Pacific families that our service is involved with. These families usually fall into the 'high needs' category. Options is also based on the understanding that:

  • Some Pacific families no longer can access, let alone have positive parenting models in traditional ways of bringing up children.
  • Some Pacific families no longer have social structures to provide multi attachments for the children.
  • Some Pacific families no longer have the social structures to support them.
  • Some Pacific families are becoming smaller and tending towards the nuclear family structure
  • Some Pacific families are isolated.
  • Some Pacific families have only 1 parent.
  • Some Pacific families have no role models for the children
  • Some Pacific families are being nurtured by a grandparent as the main caregiver.

The method employed is based on the Assessment phase of family intervention. What we uncover at assessment informs our analysis, ongoing questions we need to ask ourselves as workers, and the families we work with. The method of practice developed is the result of an analysis of mainstream provider parenting programs in New Zealand and a further 8 parenting programs from New Zealand, England and Australia. From the existing parenting programs and our knowledge of the dynamics of Pacific families, we have identified key techniques that can be used for work with Pacific families. A key focus of our work with families is a strengths based approach.

One theme that is constant throughout this paper is 'communication' which is of no surprise, however, with regard to work with Pacific populations the language barrier, the lack of understanding on child development and relevant child abuse legislation adds to the complexity of the work.

The options paper has been translated into Samoan and Tongan to allow for more understanding and feedback from parents. In addition, we attempt to address the issues facing New Zealand born children.

By February 2006, we will have the results of research and evaluation currently being conducted by a Pacific research student from the University of Canterbury. Together with one of our Christchurch based Samoan elders, the research student is visiting 5 Samoan families that have been using Options. This research is qualitative and we are hopeful that it will provide us with information about where we should improve and what families really think

To date, practice evidence demonstrates that working with Pacific families using a strengths based approach contributes to effective parenting outcomes. Outcomes up to now have been encouraging and include positive reinforcement from parents themselves, 99% of families referred by Child, Youth and Family no longer have involvement with the department, survey of Child, Youth and family Social Workers that have referred show all are satisfied and will refer again. There is an increase of referrals from other sources including self referrals for non violent parenting

Presentation

Paper

Biography

To'alepai Louella Thomsen-Inder (Samoan matai) works as a Service Manager/Community Social Worker for Social Work Services at Pacific Trust Canterbury. After 25 years as a health professional, she is currently doing a Diploma of Social Work through Otago University long distance. Her professional focus is Alternative Non Violent Parenting with Pacific families in prevention and education around Child Abuse and Domestic Violence. She manages Child Youth and Family contract and more recently the SKIP Project from Community and Family Services under the auspices of the Ministry of Social Development.She sits on the Pacific Advisory Committee for the Te Rito Strategy of Prevention of Family Violence, the Pacific SKIP national advisory committee, the Christchurch Police Pacific Victims Service, and is involved in various community projects including CAIP(Canterbury Abuse Intervention Project), Local Mapping, input into Truancy and Christchurch Polytec Social Services Advisory Committee. More recently To'alepai was co opted as the Pacific representative on the Ministry of Justice National Domestic Violence Panel