Challenges for FIFO Families

Posted on: Tue 5 July 2011

As Western Australia’s leading not-for-profit provider of early parenting services for families with children between 0-6 years, Ngala recognises the very real challenges FIFO families face, and support families in regional communities through the provision of the ‘My Ngala’ online forums.

We would also like to advise that there are successful examples of social investment in Western Australia that contributes to supporting regional families needs.

Families in the north (Karratha, Dampier, Wickham, and Roebourne) have had improved access to parenting education and support services since July 2008 following the launch of Nurturing the Pilbara, a partnership between Ngala and Woodside Energy. This service is a step towards Woodside’s reaching their vision of creating thriving communities where the families of employees live and work.  It also recognises the importance of social networks and community in helping raise healthy happy children.

It is common for parents of young children to feel a sense of isolation when they are working or living way from their family and familiar community supports. It is our experience that programs such as the Ngala and Woodside partnership can make a measurable difference to how parents feel supported in their parenting.

Ngala promotes the importance of the early years in providing a solid base for life long health.  We work closely with regional community organisations and families to provide resources that might be helpful to families living in the Pilbara or those whose families work on a FIFO basis.

Ngala’s education workshops, “Parents Working Away” and “Families Moving for Work” are a community resource available to all families as a result of social investment in the Nurturing the Pilbara partnership.  These workshops have been well attended and participant’s feedback has been extremely positive. 

It is through such collaborations, working in close partnerships with the community that resilience can be developed and needs of children and their families in regional communities or living the FIFO lifestyle can best be addressed.

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