About us

We’re promoters of early childhood education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia.

The Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) is supported with funding from the Queensland Government through the Department of Education to implement the Deadly Kindies Program (Deadly Kindies).

Deadly Kindies is a key strategy in addressing the Government’s priority focus to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families’ access to effective and integrated health care, and early childhood education and development, in particular, participation in kindergarten at the same levels as non-Indigenous Queenslanders.

The Deadly Kindies program uses the Deadly Kindies Kit as an incentive to encourage a comprehensive 715 Health Check through local Community Controlled Health Services and enrolment in kindergarten. The Health Checks are free and can pick up on and address health issues that might negatively impact children prior to school to support your child to learn the best way they can. Deadly Kindies is part of the unique IUIH System of Care, an evidence-based, systematic approach to the Indigenous-led delivery of accessible, efficient and comprehensive health and social support services.

The Deadly Kindies program commenced with a trial across three Community Controlled Health Service clinics in 2016 before expanding to all IUIH member clinics across South East Queensland the following year.

The Deadly Kindies program has since been implemented in Townsville, Rockhampton, Cherbourg, Yarrabah, Mareeba, Palm Island and Innisfail. Implementation across regional locations is made possible through partnerships with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Services.

About Deadly Kindies

What is kindy?

In Queensland, an approved kindy program is delivered by qualified early childhood teachers.
You know a kindy program is approved if it uses the ‘kindy tick’.

What makes a kindy ‘deadly‘ ?

While any approved kindy program is deadly – ATSICHS Brisbane (an Institute for Urban Indigenous Health member service) runs specific Deadly Kindies for families in the Logan region in Brisbane. You can find out more at www.deadlykindy.org.au