This report demonstrates how Indigenous programs that are strengths-based, designed with and led by the community, and – most importantly – put Indigenous peoples at the centre, are more likely to close the gap and deliver tangible and transformative impact on communities as a whole. This report assesses the impact that Indi Kindi, an innovative and locally led early childhood education program, has demonstrated in Borroloola and Robinson River, two particularly remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory with their own complex needs and disadvantages.

Key findings:

• Indi Kindi runs a model adapted to and co-created by the local Indigenous community in which it operates. As a result, Indi Kindi remains responsive to the evolving needs of its community. Indi Kindi builds the personal and professional capacities of local staff in order to establish the sustainability of the program over time while creating role models within the community.
• Consistent long term service delivery has made Indi Kindi part of the fabric of the communities in which it operates through a gradual capacity building approach with local Indigenous employees and guided by local Elders with other community leaders. As a result, Indi Kindi now offers a pathway to addressing some of the very complex issues this community faces.
• Program models like Indi Kindi’s are challenging to replicate owing to the long term community development and trust building that is required to operate successfully. Indi Kindi is in the process of expanding to two new communities – Tennant Creek in Northern Territory and Kuranda in Queensland. These communities will allow Indi Kindi to test and refine an approach to scaling up and understand what factors about the model are critical and what must be adapted to each individual community.