The purpose of these centres is to improve the quality of life for Indigenous children and their families.

The Australian Government has allocated $74.7 million over the next six years to build the centres in NSW.

The idea for the Children and Family Centres is based on a very successful model in operation in New Zealand and the USA.

It has been decided that the centres will be built in communities where intergenerational disadvantage is entrenched.

Lightning Ridge has been identified as a community that would benefit from a Children and Family Centre.

The centre is supposed to be a “hub for services to help children and their families develop in terms of health, education and social interaction,’’ says Ms Ellis. Although the centre will target the needs of Indigenous families and their young children, all local families will be able to use it. The Department of Community Services has been engaging with the Lightning Ridge local community, including the Walgett Shire Council and the Aboriginal Lands Council, to keep all members abreast of what is planned for the new centre, which should be operational by 2012, and on the establishment of a Local Reference Group.

This group is to be comprised of members from the local community. Its purpose is to enable the community to be actively involved in decisions about the centre and the co-ordination of the services available. The Children and Family Centres are being established under the Indigenous Early Childhood Development National Partnership Agreement with joint Commonwealth, State and Territory funding of $564 million over the next six years.

Under the partnership, the Australian government has provided $293 million over six years to fund the establishment of at least 35 Children and Family Centres in urban, regional and remote locations across Australia.