After consulting with the Indigenous Community and various Agencies, the immediate need was to address issues of the steady increase of young Indigenous fathers and the lack of ability to acknowledge responsibility To meet that need, a reference group, titled The Young Indigenous Fathers Project, which meets every two weeks. Members of the reference group are representatives from other community agencies, including Indigenous Youth Health, St Mary's Support & Accommodation Program, Brisbane Youth Service, Mater Hospital and Young Fathers,.

The Young Fathers will determine the frequency of meetings and the meeting place which will be easily accessible and culturally appropriate. The activities will include issues that identify the fathers role as a parent. Culturally appropriate roles, hygiene, legal responsibilities, health, financial entitlements and to empower individuals to be successful role models for their children and partners. Within the Indigenous community many young fathers are living with the perception that parenting is women's business. With this project we hope to change this perspective. Children need male role models to co-parent with their mothers. The young fathers project aims to help gain peer support from other Young Fathers and to look at strategies for addressing various issues. With the project and the Mater Hospital we will be accessing the detention and corrective institutes to target Young Fathers.

Thomas Jia