Children’s Day: raising strong, proud kids starts with connection

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day is marked every year on 4 August, celebrating the strength, resilience and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children across the nation.

For Andrew, an Aboriginal Liaison Officer at Canberra Health Services (CHS), the day carries both personal and professional meaning.

‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day is deeply meaningful to me because it reflects the importance of identity, culture, and belonging,’ Andrew says.

If you ask Andrew what he hopes for in the next generation, it’s all about believing in themselves.

‘I hope every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child grows up knowing they are proud, strong, and capable,’ he says. ‘I want them to believe that their culture is a source of strength and that their future is full of possibility.’

He hopes children feel empowered to break intergenerational cycles, create new opportunities for themselves and their families, and pass on a legacy of pride and resilience.

And if there’s one value Andrew hopes to pass on, it’s this: connection matters.

‘Connection to family, community, Country, and culture gives us strength, identity, and a sense of belonging.’

It’s something that shapes the way he works at CHS every day.

‘Seeing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families in hospital reminds me that health care is about more than treating illness,’ he says.

‘Families need to feel safe, respected, listened to, and understood. When care is culturally safe, people are more likely to engage with services, ask questions, and feel comfortable advocating for their children. Cultural safety helps build trust, and trust is essential to achieving better health outcomes for our children and families.’

Andrew’s own upbringing also plays a role in how he approaches his work.

Growing up in foster care, he shares that he struggled with his own identity throughout much of his childhood and teenage years.

‘While my experience was different to that of the Stolen Generations, I understand the impact that disconnection from family, culture, and community can have on a young person's sense of self.’

‘Learning about my culture and strengthening my connections to family and Country helped me develop a stronger sense of pride and belonging,’ he explains. ‘Through my work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, children and families, I see every day how important those connections are for a child's wellbeing and future.’

Today, as a father of three, Andrew takes great pride in passing the same sense of strength on to the next generation.

‘I feel a great sense of pride in teaching my children about Aboriginal culture and maintaining strong connections to family and community.’

‘For me, Children's Day is a reminder that every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child deserves the opportunity to grow up proud of who they are, connected to culture, and supported to thrive.’

Andrew leaves one message for every Canberran:

‘I'd like every Canberran to know that culture is a strength, not just for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, but for our whole community. Strong children are raised when they know who they are, where they belong, and that their culture is respected and celebrated.’

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