Jarjum Centre

What Jarjum Centre does

Jarjum Centre (legal entity Jarjum Centre Inc) is an Aboriginal community-controlled, non-profit early childhood education provider established approximately 40 years ago (around 1984) and headquartered on Cassia Cres, Goonellabah, NSW, Australia, on the lands of the Widjabal Wiyabal people within the Bundjalung Nation. It operates a preschool program for Aboriginal children aged 2-5 built on a proprietary Goori transformative pedagogical framework, an on-site Allied Health team (Coordinator, Indigenous therapy assistant, Speech Pathologist and Occupational therapist) delivering NDIS-eligible assessment and therapy, a Homework Hub for children aged 6-12, Family Worker support, and — since 21 October 2024 — the Jarjum Midjang trauma-informed Sensory Play Centre and Playgroup. Governance is by a community Board with Director Maurita Cavanough (since 2012) leading a small multidisciplinary staff.

The organisation also functions as a capacity-builder for surrounding Aboriginal communities, having helped establish the Swanettes Ginibi Supported Playgroup in Coraki-Boxridge and the Bootherams Supported Playgroup in Muli Muli/Woodenbong, providing governance training, first aid/child safety training, professional development, and referral pathways to Allied Health and NDIS services. Partnerships with Muli Muli Health Post Centre and the Australian Hearing Team extend its clinical reach into those communities.

The revenue model is subscription/recurring in nature and is funded through a mix of Australian government Early Childhood Education subsidies, NDIS reimbursements for allied health services, and philanthropic grants (one disclosed grant of AUD 524,917 from the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation in November 2020). Customer acquisition is community-led via word-of-mouth, Elder endorsement, and direct Aboriginal community engagement; no traditional sales motion, public pricing, or digital commercial infrastructure is in place. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and the operating geography is concentrated in the Northern Rivers/Lismore region of New South Wales with adjacent support into Coraki-Boxridge and Muli Muli/Woodenbong.

Name

Jarjum Centre

Legal name

Jarjum Centre Inc

Website

https://jarjum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Jarjum Centre is an Aboriginal community-controlled, non-profit early childhood education centre in Goonellabah, NSW, delivering Goori-transformative preschool, on-site allied health (OT and speech), family support, and the Jarjum Midjang trauma-informed sensory playgroup for Aboriginal children aged 0-12 and their families in the Lismore region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Developmental Therapy / Early Childhood Special Instruction (EDACAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Toddler-Focused Childcare Centers (EDACAAAG), Early Intervention OT (Birth–3) / Preschool OT (EDAKAFAJ), Special Needs–Inclusive Nursery & Playgroups (EDACACAJ)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Aboriginal community programs
• Allied health services
• Occupational therapy
• Sensory play programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Goonellabah

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Early Childhood Education Services: Jarjum Centre provides early childhood education and care services for Aboriginal children aged 2-5 years. As a community-based nonprofit organization, revenue likely derives from government funding for early childhood education services, NDIS funding for allied health services, and potentially parent fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Jarjum Centre is a non-profit early childhood education centre for Aboriginal children located in Goonellabah, Lismore region, NSW. It delivers a preschool program for children aged 2-5 years, an on-site Allied Health team (Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy), a Homework Hub for children aged 6-12 years, a Family Worker service, and the Jarjum Midjang trauma-informed Sensory Centre and Playgroup. It also supports other Aboriginal communities to establish their own playgroups through governance training and capacity building.

Product overview

Jarjum Centre is an early childhood education center offering a unified portfolio of programs for Aboriginal children, families and communities in Lismore, NSW. The core offerings include an Early Childhood Program for children aged 2-5 years, the Jarjum Midjang Sensory Centre and Playgroup (a trauma-informed sensory space opened October 2024), Allied Health services (Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy), a Homework Hub for school-aged children (6-12 years), and Family Worker support. The Centre also supports community-led playgroups including Swanettes "Ginibi" Playgroup and Bootherams Playgroup in surrounding areas. All programs utilize a Goori transformative approach to early childhood education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jarjum Midjang: Jarjum Midjang Sensory Centre and Playgroup is a trauma informed space and specialised Sensory Room designed to enhance sensory play and aid in the effects of trauma. It serves children aged 0-5 years and their families.

Products and services

• Early Childhood Program Preschool program for Aboriginal children aged 2-5 years delivered by qualified early childhood educators using a Goori transformative approach to help children succeed in two worlds. Operates Monday to Friday from Jarjum Centre's Goonellabah facility.
• Jarjum Midjang Sensory Centre and Playgroup Trauma-informed sensory play space and playgroup for Aboriginal children aged 0-5 years and their families, using specialised sensory equipment to reduce stress and anxiety and providing access to Allied Health, NDIS support, and family wellbeing services.
• Allied Health Team Services On-site Allied Health team delivering Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy assessment and therapy to Aboriginal children, including NDIS eligibility and assessment support, with an Indigenous therapy assistant on staff.
• Homework Hub Twice-weekly support program for Aboriginal children aged 6-12 years providing homework help, project support, community engagement, and primary school advocacy for families.
• Family Worker Support Dedicated family support service assisting Aboriginal families with housing, advocacy, wellbeing supports and navigation of early years services.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7 children successfully referred to Occupational therapist and Speech therapist services
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Swanettes Ginibi Playgroup (Coraki-Boxridge)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 October 2024Jarjum Centre helped establish this community playgroup approximately 2.5 years ago, providing governance training, capacity building, first aid training, child safety training, and access to Allied Health services. Playgroup has access to Occupational and Speech Therapy referral services and Jarjum's Early Intervention Midjang Playgroup for NDIS support.
• Australian Hearing TeamminorOthers · 21 October 2024Australian Hearing Team visits Bootherams Playgroup for ongoing testing and assessments to support referrals for children's hearing health needs.
• Muli Muli Health Post CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 October 2021Jarjum Centre works in collaboration with Muli Muli Health Post Centre to provide occupational therapist specialist visits and coordinated health services for children attending the Bootherams Playgroup. The Bootherams Playgroup operates alongside the health center to provide integrated health and early learning services.
• Bootherams Playgroup (Muli Muli Community, Woodenbong)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 October 2021Jarjum Centre helped establish this supported playgroup providing governance training, capacity building, first aid training, child safety training, and Allied Health access. The playgroup has an Occupational therapist specialist visiting fortnightly. Between 7-13 children attend regularly.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Children's Ground: Children's Ground is an Aboriginal-led organisation operating in the Northern Territory that delivers integrated early childhood, education, health, and family wellbeing services for First Nations children. It is a direct analogue to Jarjum's model of culturally safe, multi-service Aboriginal early childhood delivery, differing only in geography.

Broad incumbents

• SNAICC – National Voice for Our Children: SNAICC is the national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, advocating for culturally safe child care, early childhood education, and family support. It is a broad incumbent shaping the policy and funding environment in which Jarjum operates, rather than a direct service competitor.
• Goodstart Early Learning: Goodstart is Australia's largest not-for-profit early childhood education provider, operating more than 660 centres nationwide. It is a broad incumbent in ECE delivery and competes for the same government funding pool, but does not specifically serve Aboriginal communities in a culturally-led model.
• KU Children's Services: KU is a large not-for-profit provider of early childhood education and care services across Australia, including services for children with additional needs. It is comparable in mission and not-for-profit status but operates mainstream services at much larger scale rather than Aboriginal-led delivery.
• Gowrie Australia: Gowrie Australia is a network of community-based not-for-profit children's services supporting early childhood education, professional development, and sector advocacy. It overlaps with Jarjum on community-driven ECE and capability-building, but is a federation of mainstream services rather than Aboriginal-led.
• The Benevolent Society: The Benevolent Society is one of Australia's oldest not-for-profits delivering a portfolio of services including early childhood education, family support, and allied health. It is comparable in multi-service, mission-driven delivery but operates mainstream rather than Aboriginal-led programs.

Others

• Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council of NSW: AH&MRC of NSW is the peak body for Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations in NSW. It is comparable as an Aboriginal-led service ecosystem in NSW that Jarjum partners with for health service delivery, but its core mission is health rather than ECE.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jarjum Centre