Culturally safe conversations: yarning with the Aboriginal early years workforce about supporting infant nutrition and active play

This study aimed to explore the views, preferences and experiences of the Aboriginal early year’s workforce on how to enhance the provision of nutrition and active play information and support for Aboriginal families and their infants in Victoria, Australia. In person and online yarning groups were conducted with the Victorian Koori Maternity Services and Aboriginal Maternal Child Health services workforce to explore their perspectives on maternal and infant service delivery around nutrition and active play. Yarns were thematically analysed. Twenty-one participants from the Aboriginal early year’s workforce took part in two yarning groups. Participants identified both service and system-level factors important to enhancing support for families around nutrition and active play. Service-level factors included the value of role modelling by workforce and family and the provision of culturally appropriate and targeted support including both face to face interaction and digital resources. System-level factors included the importance of Aboriginal health professionals as central to the provision of culturally responsive and trusted support and the impacts of cost of living on families. Factors spanning the service and system-levels included supporting and normalising breastfeeding as well as culturally safe spaces and conversations. Culturally safe information and support provided by Aboriginal health professionals is key to strengthening nutrition and active play service delivery for Aboriginal families.