Who’s my Mob?

Who’s My Mob? is available to help Aboriginal young people connect and reconnect to, and identify with, their birth families. This process is done sensitively and with careful planning with the young person, foster family (if in care), birth family and the Aboriginal community. (A young person meaning a child between the ages of birth to 18 years old. Yorgam Aboriginal Corporation will do the research through their “Link Up” program if the child is over 18 years old.)

Kinship Connections provides support and expertise throughout the process, by walking the journey with the young person as they reconnect with their birth families, and by introducing positive role models into their lives. A range of healing strategies is offered to strengthen the young person’s identity and sense of belonging. They are empowered with knowledge of their family and cultural identity and encouraged to take pride in their Aboriginality.

As part of the ‘Who’s My Mob?’ project, Kinship Connections researches and produces a personalised History Book that contains family trees from both sides of their family and photographs of all extended family members, providing the young person with a map of their heritage.

Anecdotal information about the books produced to date suggests that they have been very important in the development of a positive self-image and sense of belonging. Carers have reported using the book to calm anxious children and children presenting with behavioural issues, by sitting down with them and going through their history books.

“Jodie (8 years old) clutched her book immediately to her chest. I could tell she was dying to look at it and her excitement was radiating. She just loves her book!!”

“When little man is feeling sad, he sits by himself and looks at his book. He shows everyone his mummy and daddy and pops, he loves them very much. When people come to the house he brings out his book and shows visitors this book with his family in it. His mum has said when she feels alone she looks at her book and smiles when she sees all her family photos in it. Mum can now piece together who she is related to and has a better understanding of her own identity and self-belonging.”

Kinship Connections is available, on request, to accompany a young person to cultural events/festivals, family funerals/celebrations, or the meeting of their relatives.

These books would be fantastic for young people who:

Are leaving care.
Who has been granted an SGO (Special Guardianship Order) through the courts.
Young people who would like to have knowledge of the Aboriginal side of their family.
Parents who are estranged from their Aboriginal partners and want to know the Aboriginal history for their children.
All children in care.

See below for an example of a couple of chapters in a Kinship Connections History Book.