Disadvantaged ACT families to receive support

The Federal Coalition Government today announced it will commit up to $600,000 to improve the lifetime outcomes of families and children in the ACT in the areas that need it most.

Working in partnership with the ACT Government, the Commonwealth will direct funding to an initiative that will focus on ACT children who have experienced trauma, domestic violence and children who have parents who are incarcerated, who are disengaged from school, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and areas within the ACT where intergenerational disadvantage exists.

Federal Minister responsible for Children and Families, Dr David Gillespie said the Commonwealth looked forward to the opportunity of working with state and territory ministers towards resolving some of the most critical issues that Australia is facing concerning the wellbeing of children and young people.

“This initiative will use multiple access points, including schools, to reach in need families and provide a more coordinated service response to better address community needs.”

The approach is part of a new strategy that sees enhanced collaboration between state and territory governments and the Commonwealth. The first of these sites is Queensland with the Logan Together initiative.

“There is mounting evidence that some families and communities remain caught in entrenched pockets of concentrated disadvantage across rural, remote and suburban Australia,” Dr Gillespie said.

“A place-based approach is a collaborative, flexible response to local disadvantage in which the community is the primary driver of change.”

Senator for ACT Zed Seselja said this was a great example of “joined-up working” that sees governments working together to create long-term, large-scale change.

“This initiative will combine local knowledge with expert knowledge to ensure that the families and young people who need it most will receive the services and support that work for them,” Senator Seselja said.