ABOUT US

Each year over 2,000 refugee children settle in Victoria. Many of these children and their parents have experienced violence and trauma, have had little access to formal education and speak little or no English.
We know that strong exposure and connection to Mother Tongue languages, culture and stories provides children with the best start in life- supporting recovery from trauma, increasing parent-child bonding, confidence and future educational outcomes. But finding ways to do this when dealing with all the other pressures of settling in a new country can be difficult, especially when there are limited books and other resources available in the families’ mother tongue language.
Mother Tongue Stories works with refugee families to ensure children have the best possible start to life in Australia. We provide resources, workshops and one-on-one support for parents to find ways to build language and literacy skills in Mother Tongue languages, while also supporting parents to navigate systems, connect to community activities and find the right educational opportunities for young children.
Our approach is to work alongside parents and communities, building knowledge and resources together, valuing both mother tongue languages and cultures as well as increased English language proficiency.