27 October 2026
People are more likely to feel comfortable accessing support when their culture is understood, and they can take part in their preferred language.
The City of Brimbank, where our Sunshine centre is based, is home to Victoria’s largest Vietnamese community (Australian Census, 2021).
For over 20 years, we’ve worked alongside Victoria’s Vietnamese community to develop and deliver a range of programs tailored for Vietnamese people living in the area.
We have delivered Vietnamese men’s behaviour change programs since 2011 and began delivering Vietnamese Tuning in to Kids® parenting programs in 2021. We’re pleased to be continuing this work in 2026 and 2027, in partnership with the Vietnamese community in Sunshine.
Tuning in to Kids® for Vietnamese parents and carers
Starts on 9 November 2026
Tuning in to Kids® (TIK) helps parents and carers build stronger relationships with their children using emotion coaching – a way of talking about and understanding feelings.
It teaches parents and carers how to set clear and safe boundaries, model healthy emotional behaviour to their children at home and help their children manage their feelings.
Our Vietnamese TIK program is delivered in language by our bilingual facilitator and tailored to the Vietnamese community’s culture and experiences, so that it feels relevant and meaningful to the families taking part. It offers the chance for Vietnamese parents and carers to connect, build skills and access support in their own language.
‘One participant told me that the program helped them connect more deeply with their child. Others have talked about how it has helped them embrace opportunities to emotion-coach, feel more confident setting limits and healthy boundaries with their children, and even repair relationships with their own parents.’ – Vietnamese TIK Facilitator
Vietnamese men’s behaviour change program
Starts in March 2027
Our 20-week program in Sunshine is designed for Vietnamese men who have used violent, harmful or controlling behaviour towards family members, including their partners and/or children, and want support to change their behaviour.
The program is delivered by 2 Vietnamese-speaking co-facilitators who understand the cultural challenges participants may face. These can include navigating the Australian justice system, understanding family violence intervention orders and making sense of English terms that don’t always translate easily into Vietnamese, such as the word ‘violence’.
Facilitators also help participants better understand Australian customs and expectations, while exploring how cultural ideas around honour and shame can influence beliefs and behaviour.
‘I feel sad that the program is ending, even though I had felt uncomfortable and angry for being mandated to attend. The safe, respectful and non-judgemental environment of the group helped me to open up and share experiences.’ - Participant, 2022-23
Sessions are delivered in Vietnamese and draw on an understanding of Vietnamese customs, traditions and the challenges that can come with migration. This helps make the program more accessible and relevant to participants’ lives.
The safety of women and children is at the heart of our approach. As part of our Family Safety Model, a Vietnamese-speaking family safety practitioner contacts the current and former partners of participants throughout the program. They carry out thorough risk assessments and connect women and children with support to help keep them safe.
‘The Family Safety Contact process empowers women to recover from the damage of family violence and recognise that they have the right to be safe in their relationships.’ - Vietnamese MBCP facilitator
Our next program will start in March 2027. We invite expressions of interest through our website.