Govt Funds to Tackle Child Abuse
11 May 2009 at 5:08 pm
The Federal Government will provide $1.9 million in immediate funding to key non-government organisations for projects aimed at preventing child abuse and neglect as well as supporting those who have experienced abuse.
The funding is part of the Government’s National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children.
The latest funding announcement is aimed at strengthening existing programs and services to identify children at risk, intervene to prevent abuse as well as providing ongoing support for those who have experienced abuse.
The funding includes:
– $175,000 for the National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect for a national survey of community attitudes to protecting children;
– $133,810 for Bravehearts to support White Balloon Day to raise awareness of child sexual abuse;
– $270,000 for Child Wise for a multi-media child abuse prevention program, with a focus on preventing child sexual abuse;
– $180,000 for Good Beginnings to expand their services, including working with families whose children have been removed from their care;
– $98,394 for the Secretariat of National Indigenous and Islander Child Care to deliver workshops on family violence in Indigenous communities;
– $341,000 for the Australian Childhood Foundation to print and distribute an information booklet for children entering foster care, and a resource guide for schools and early childhood services to improve the response to traumatised children;
– $79,134 for Adults Surviving Child Abuse and to run national workshops for adult survivors of childhood abuse to aid recovery;
– $28,650 for Heartfelt House for workshops with adult survivors of child sexual abuse, their parents and spouses.
The Federal Government has also allocated $577,000 over the next 18 months to convene a high level taskforce with the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth to advise on developing a national approach to identifying and responding to children at risk.
The Common Approach to Assessment Referral and Support Taskforce will look at existing barriers to a coordinated, collaborative approach and how to overcome them.
This will include developing options for a uniform approach to assessment and referral processes and mechanisms for sharing of information between services.
The Taskforce will comprise practitioners involved in secondary prevention including mental health, drug and alcohol, family support and homelessness as well as experts in child welfare and child protection.
