A northern New South Wales charity is delivering cribs to at-risk Indigenous mothers to support them in the days after childbirth.
The cribs are filled with essential items to help a new mother prepare for motherhood.
For First Nations mother and daughter Jennifer and Evie Wood it is part of an effort to better protect the mothers from being separated from their babies.
The duo launched the initiative after discovering that Indigenous babies were 10 times more likely to be removed by child protection services than non-Indigenous children.
"It is heartbreaking when babies are taken from their mothers," said Jennifer, vice-president and co-founder of Coolamon Community.
The statistics from the Family Matters Report by the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care also revealed the removal process often happened in the first two weeks of a baby's life.
The two women decided the cribs could be a practical way to connect young and new mums with services and support during those crucial early days of parenting.
Affected by Stolen Generations
The Family Matters Report figures resonated with Jennifer and Evie, who were personally affected by the Stolen Generations.
Evie said her grandmother was a member of the Stolen Generations and her mother was also removed from her Aboriginal father.
"The Stolen Generations is close to our hearts," she said.
"When you lose country and culture, it is not something you get over, and the trauma is passed on to the next generation," Evie said.
The pair established the Coolamon Community with the help of businesses and the Aboriginal Health Services and Aboriginal Maternal Infant Health Services.
Charity president Evie said they realised there was a supply issue for essential baby goods after speaking to a social worker during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The social worker said they were struggling to get baby essentials that were badly needed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children across the region, so we thought we would step in," Evie said.
They began working with Aboriginal health workers to distribute the Coolamon Cribs to expectant mothers.
So far, they have delivered 287 cribs, with demand increasing.
"We deliver a Coolamon crib a day," Jennifer said.
Vital to keep families together
Jennifer said it was vital to keep families together in order to not repeat mistakes of the past.
"I cannot change the past but working in this charity is giving me a sense of belonging," she said.
Coolamon Community delivered their first cribs to Bullinah Aboriginal Health Centre in Ballina and to Rekindling the Spirit in Lismore.
They now work with Bulgurr Ngaru Maternal Health Services and supply the much-needed items across northern NSW, from the Tweed to Clarence and inland to Tabulam and Casino.
"We connect with First Nations mothers by working with Aboriginal health workers and midwives," Evie said.
"The mums are getting the best care because it is mob caring for mob."
She said it was important that expectant mothers felt culturally safe and attended healthcare centres early to have important conversations.
"This is leading to safer pregnancies and better breastfeeding outcomes without the feeling of being judged," Evie said.
Giving mothers confidence
Gamilaroi woman and Aboriginal health worker Tahlia Bryce helps distribute the cribs.
She said the charity was giving new mothers confidence that they can be a good parent and not suffer the trauma of past generations.
"Keeping First Nations families together is a given," Ms Bryce said.
Evie and Jennifer hoped to expand their service nationally.
"You always have dreams and yes, I would love to expand but sustainable growth is important," Evie said.
"If we make a promise or a commitment, we want to keep it."
