New grants to build support services for vulnerable families

The Australian Government is providing 43 organisations with $5.7 million in new funding for projects to help protect and safeguard children.

The Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin, and the Minister for Community Services, Julie Collins, today announced the recipients of the Child Aware Approaches grants.

Organisations working in the community across Australia are receiving a one-off grant of up to $200,000 to better manage the impact of child abuse and neglect and deliver more targeted services for children.

The $5.7 million investment is part of the Australian Government’s commitment to the Second Action Plan under the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009-2020 and aimed at reducing risk factors of child abuse and neglect.

The Child Aware Approaches funding will also improve community understanding of child abuse and neglect, with new resources and research to identify what works, why it works and to help other services to make use of this knowledge.

With projects supported in each state and territory Child Aware Approaches supports a broad spectrum of organisations. Groups receiving these grants include those providing services in the areas of, mental health, substance abuse, disability, prisons, women’s safety and family and children’s support.

The projects can run at national, state and local level and also support Indigenous community organisations, culturally and linguistically diverse community organisations, people and families with disability and those experiencing or are at risk of mental illness.

By supporting these projects, we are giving services opportunities to develop the tools and know-how to better respond to the risks and issues affecting the safety and wellbeing of children.

All children deserve a safe, healthy and happy childhood and this investment will help strengthen local partnerships between organisations, services and the community to deliver local solutions.

A list of recipients and more information on the Child Aware Approaches grants is available at www.fahcsia.gov.au.

As well as being a part of the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children, these Child Aware Approaches grants build on the National Mental Health Reform and the $86 million National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022.

Organisations receiving funding: