We are a dynamic organisation constantly changing and responding to the unmet needs of our local community.

“Ngunga believes families are the first educators of our children, shaping their language, safety, identity, and sense of belonging from the very beginning. Women lead this learning in the early years, guiding children through their first words, first stories and first understandings of the world. We stand with women, families and the whole community to ensure every child grows up proud, supported and connected. Our commitment is to strengthen families in the early years so children feel safe, confident and surrounded by community that lifts them up” – CEO, Rowena Mouda

Ngunga’s programs are connected through a shared commitment to strong families, strong culture and strong community-led services. Across early years, family support, playgroups, workforce development, transport, storytelling and cultural projects, Ngunga works to improve access, build local capability, strengthen parenting and child development outcomes, and support families across our footprint of Derby, Mowanjum and Pandanus Park including the Gibb River Road.

Ngunga’s Playgroups provide welcoming, culturally safe spaces for babies, young children, parents, carers and families to come together through play, learning, language, music, culture and connection. Playgroups are delivered across community settings, supporting children’s early development, school readiness, social and emotional wellbeing, health, and strong relationships between children and the important adults in their lives.

Through regular playgroup sessions, families take part in activities and experiences such as storytelling, songs, art and craft, movement, cultural learning, natural science, and play-based learning linked to local seasonal knowledge and community priorities. Elders, cultural advisors, educators and families help shape the learning, making sure children grow up connected to family, community, language and culture.

Ngunga’s Playgroups also create a soft-entry pathway for families to connect with health, education and family support services in a relaxed and trusted environment. Service providers regularly visit playgroups to share information, offer developmental and wellbeing support, and build relationships with families and educators. This helps families access support earlier, while keeping culture, community voice and local practice at the centre. Playgroups are part of Ngunga’s broader early years work across Derby, Mowanjum and Pandanus Park, and communities on the Gibb River Road, working alongside all of Ngunga’s programs including Connected Beginnings, First Nations Playgroup, HIPPY, community transport initiatives and Dunyji Jarndu and Ooba Babanil. Ngunga’s Mobile Playgroup supports on country, cultural experiences and learning.

Funded by the National Indigenous Australians Agency through the Children and Schooling Program. 

Ngunga’s First Nations Playgroup project provides a culturally strong early years space and cultural advisors for children, parents and carers to learn, play, connect and grow together in a supported and culturally safe environment. The program supports child development, parent-child relationships, belonging, language, culture and soft-entry access to family support and local services. Experiences and activities may include play, music, storytelling, toy and resource access, cultural learning and community-informed activities that support children’s early development and wellbeing.

Funded by Department of Social Services.

Connected Beginning supports children aged 0-5, families and community across Derby, Mowanjum and Pandanus Park. The program works to improve health, education, and wellbeing outcomes by strengthening the connections between children, families, early childhood services, schools, health services and family support providers. 

At Ngunga, Connected Beginnings is grounded in culture, language, family voice and community-led decision-making. The program strengthens families understanding and access to services, early years participation, and works with service providers to make support easier, more accessible, safer and more connected for families. Activities include playgroups, family engagement, KIN Days with Dunyji Jarndu and Ooba Babanil, On-Country learning, intergenerational learning with Elders, surveys, yarning, service coordination, and support for early years priorities across the Derby region. Connected Beginnings also support stronger partnerships across the early years and through local governance, community feedback, shared planning and service coordination, the program helps families feel more confident to ask questions, access support and take part in early learning, health and family wellbeing experiences and activities, 

Funded by Australian Government Department of Education / Connected Beginnings.

Connected Beginning supports children aged 0-5, families and community across Derby, Mowanjum and Pandanus Park. The program works to improve health, education, and wellbeing outcomes by strengthening the connections between children, families, early childhood services, schools, health services and family support providers. 

At Ngunga, Connected Beginnings is grounded in culture, language, family voice and community-led decision-making. The program strengthens families understanding and access to services, early years participation, and works with service providers to make support easier, more accessible, safer and more connected for families. Activities include playgroups, family engagement, KIN Days with Dunyji Jarndu and Ooba Babanil, On-Country learning, intergenerational learning with Elders, surveys, yarning, service coordination, and support for early years priorities across the Derby region. Connected Beginnings also support stronger partnerships across the early years and through local governance, community feedback, shared planning and service coordination, the program helps families feel more confident to ask questions, access support and take part in early learning, health and family wellbeing experiences and activities, 

Funded by Australian Government Department of Education / Connected Beginnings.

Our Stories, Our Voices is a community storytelling and cultural resource project connected to Ngunga’s early years work. Through First Nations Playgroup, Cultural Advisors, Playgroups and Dunyji Jarndu & Ooba Babanil sessions, women, families and children have contributed to felt mat designs, stories, language, and cultural learning resources for playgroup settings. The project supports community voice, local stories, intergenerational learning and culturally grounded resources for young children and families.

Funded through the Early Years Partnership (EYP) Innovation Fund / Minderoo Foundation, with Ngunga as the delivery partner in Derby.

Our Stories, Our Voices is a community storytelling and cultural resource project connected to Ngunga’s early years work. Through First Nations Playgroup, Cultural Advisors, Playgroups and Dunyji Jarndu & Ooba Babanil sessions, women, families and children have contributed to felt mat designs, stories, language, and cultural learning resources for playgroup settings. The project supports community voice, local stories, intergenerational learning and culturally grounded resources for young children and families.

Funded through the Early Years Partnership (EYP) Innovation Fund / Minderoo Foundation, with Ngunga as the delivery partner in Derby.

Dunyji Jarndu and Ooba Babanil (Strong Women and Children) supports women, young children and families through culturally safe, welcoming spaces at Ngunga. The program brings together yarning, play, cooking, sewing, art, community garden activities, family support, early childhood development and connection to culture. It is designed to strengthen women’s wellbeing, parenting confidence, local upskilling and capability building, school readiness, family safety, local leadership and Aboriginal-led early support in Derby.  The project is based around the learning areas in the project model and grounded in culture. 

Funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services.

Dunyji Jarndu and Ooba Babanil (Strong Women and Children) supports women, young children and families through culturally safe, welcoming spaces at Ngunga. The program brings together yarning, play, cooking, sewing, art, community garden activities, family support, early childhood development and connection to culture. It is designed to strengthen women’s wellbeing, parenting confidence, local upskilling and capability building, school readiness, family safety, local leadership and Aboriginal-led early support in Derby.  The project is based around the learning areas in the project model and grounded in culture. 

Funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services.

The Remote Jobs and Economic Development (RJED) Program supports local employment, workforce growth and community service capacity in Derby. Through RJED, Ngunga is creating real job pathways in areas such as community engagement, early childhood education, administration, retail operations and cultural/community services. The program strengthens local skills, confidence and economic participation and supports more community-led services delivered by local people. 

Funded by National Indigenous Australian Agency.

The Pandanus Park Bus / Early Years Transport Solution supports children aged 0-4 and their families to access early childhood, health, cultural and community services and is designed to reduce transport barriers for families living in Pandanus Park. The program makes it easier for children and carers to attend programs, appointments, playgroups and early years activities in Derby and surrounding service locations. 

The bus is part of Ngunga’s broader early years work to improve access, participation and school readiness for families. By supporting transport from Pandanus Park, the service helps families stay connected to programs, appointments, community activities and early support when distance and access would otherwise be a barrier. 

Funded by Minderoo Foundation, linked with WA Department of Communities funding. 

Ngunga supports the Early Years Partnership and support the implementation of the Derby, Mowanjum and Pandanus Park Community Action Plan. The Early Years Partnership works with community, government, service providers and local organisations to improve outcomes for children in the early years, with a strong focus on child wellbeing, school readiness, family support and community-led change. 

Ngunga plays an important role in supporting Aboriginal families to have their voices heard and reflected in early years planning. This work is grounded in local strengths, culture, language and community leadership. Ngunga works alongside families, Elders, community members and partner organisation to support practical actions that respond to the priorities identified in the Community Action Plan, including child health, child development, parent wellbeing, family safety, family financial wellbeing, culturally safe services and strong spaces for children and families. For more information about the Early Years Partnership and the community priorities visit Resources – Derby.

HIPPY (Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngster) is a free, two-year, home-based early childhood learning program that empowers parents and carers to be their child’s first teacher (pre-school years 3 to 5 years old). Families that live in a HIPPY catchment area start HIPPY the year before school and continue during their first year of school. 

The HIPPY curriculum is aligned to the Early Years Learning Framework, the Australian Curriculum and is informed by contemporary learning approaches. HIPPY is designed to fit in with the daily lives of the families, by spending 10 to 15 minutes a day doing education activities with their children. In the first year of HIPPY, families learn skills to get their children ready for school. In the second year, parents learn more about supporting their children’s learning and development at school and at home.  

Every local HIPPY Program is supervised by a HIPPY Coordinator who trains and supervises a team of Home Tutors who visit parents in their home. Trained HIPPY Tutors are assigned a cohort of parents (with children in the specific age group) with whom they will work e.g., 3-yo, 4-yo or 5-yo. HIPPY Tutors are:

1. Parents or carers involved in HIPPY, either currently or in the past 12-months 
2. Employed for two years to provide peer support and deliver HIPPY to families by practising HIPPY activities using Role Play.