The organisations that SNAICC represents have identified a need and high interest in support to better monitor, evaluate and articulate their outcomes. This need has been informed by the lack of available evaluation and evidence relating to programs designed with and delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and organisations. The lack of documented evidence often leads to the under-valuing of locally designed and driven approaches. Programs are then implemented with an international evidencebase that are ineffective in the context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

This toolkit has been prepared with the objective of addressing the abovementioned issues to enable organisations working in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child and family services sector to articulate the unique ways in which they work in creating wellbeing outcomes for families, children and the communities they work in. It aspires to empower them to highlight the value of locally designed and driven approaches and build their own evidence base to prove and improve the effectiveness of their programs.

Key Findings:

• This resource guides the reader through a series of worksheets and activities to be able to articulate the unique way through which their program can create outcomes in their community.
• This framework is about self-determination: empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to exercise opportunities to live well, according to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values and beliefs. It is also about ensuring children can thrive and reach their full potential; and protecting rights recognised in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. It reflects the views and voices of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders, community members and non-government organisations.
• It is likely that families that attend child and family programs may access related community organisations that complement one another. This resource recommends that workers in these fields get aquainted with which ones their clients use, and create strong relationships and links with them. This allows workers to offer a better service to families through more referrals and potential partnerships while delivering services.
• The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child and Family Wellbeing Framework provides a comprehensive list of domains and long-term outcome statements that are applicable to a wide range of programs delivered by organisations.