Sacred Little Ones is a mother/primary caregiver-infant attachment group specifically designed for Aboriginal families experiencing mental health and wellbeing struggles. 

Sacred Little Ones provides a culturally safe, supportive and nurturing environment for Aboriginal mothers/primary caregivers and their little ones, aged from birth to three years, where they can meet once a week with workers trained and skilled in supporting Aboriginal families, and sensitive to intergenerational trauma and disconnection. The Sacred Little Ones program draws on cultural knowledge from a range of First Nations. This offers opportunities to strengthen participants’ sense of identity, connection and belonging, building trust and emotional resilience.

The components of the Sacred Little Ones group programs are Dance Play and the Yarnin’ Circle.

• Dance Play explores dance as a fundamental way of being, doing and understanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures. Dance Play shares cultural dances, rhymes and songs, and others, in an embodied and experiential way for each mother/primary caregiver to ‘meet’ their child and strengthen their relationship.  Since the mothers/primary caregivers come from a range of communities and language groups, Dance Play encourages the sharing of stories and songs with the group, providing a safe and respectful space to learn from one another and strengthen cultural ties. Dance Play keeps as close to traditional cultural learning as possible by recognising that learning is through observation and participation.           

• The Yarnin Circle provides mothers/primary caregivers with the opportunity of some reflective time whilst their children are cared for in an adjacent space.

Sacred Little Ones is open to non-Aboriginal mothers with an Aboriginal child. Aboriginal participants are welcome to attend Acorn groups, however non-Aboriginal participants are not able to attend Sacred Little Ones.

Sacred Little Ones provides an opportunity to consider and integrate holistic attachment theory and practice through a First Nations lens, where culture provides strength and healing, and to influence the activities of the other MeB4three programs.