Media Release by The Hon Larry Anthony MP

Providing Local Answers to local problems

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Larry Anthony, today announced a commitment of around $17 million funding to 93 grassroots projects that will support local answers to local problems.

Mr Anthony said funding has been made available through the refocussed $365 million Stronger Families and Communities Strategy’s Local Answers initiative. Local Answers ($60 million over four years) gives communities the power to develop their own solutions and help them help themselves by supporting locally developed and implemented projects.

This approach is recognition that government alone cannot solve community issues and that communities themselves know what their local issues are, how these issues can best be addressed and who they need to work with to implement solutions.

Funding under Local Answers will support projects that:

  • build effective parenting and relationship skills;
  • build opportunities and skills for economic self-reliance in families and communities;
  • build partnerships between local services strengthening support to families and communities, so they deliver better services and meet unmet needs;
  • assist young parents in particular to further their education or access to training and other services where they are seeking to make the transition to employment; and
  • assist members of the community to get involved in community life through local volunteering, mentoring of young people, and training to build community leadership and initiative.

“The funding includes $7.3 million in continuing support for 41 projects which were previously funded under the first four years of the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy. Around $10 million will go to new projects around Australia.

“In funding Local Answers, the Australian Government is continuing to listen to communities and to trust their judgment in proposing responses to local issues. We are firmly committed to working in partnership with communities in a flexible way, so that our children, families and communities will be supported in ways they need,” Mr Anthony said.

More information about the projects and the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy is available on the FaCS website at www.facs.gov.au

Organisation Project Title $ Approved
Australian Capital Territory
Alcohol and Drug Foundation ACT Early Intervention for Children at Risk and Effective Parenting for Families with Complex Needs $413,520
Southside Community Services* Southside Good Beginnings Volunteer Home Visiting Program $52,297
YWCA of Canberra Young Parents STEPS Program $150,000
New South Wales
Anglicare Canberra and Goulburn / Anglicare Youth and Family Services* Ashmont Community Resource Centre $125,545
Bega Valley Shire Council Social Planning Conference $5,600
Bucketts Way Neighbourhood Group Aspirations for Families $31,420
Dads in Distress* Dads in Distress $300,000
St Philips Christian Education Foundation* Dale Young Mothers Program $282,200
Interrelate* Indigerelate (Bulgalma Bihyn) $200,000
Gunnedah Shire Council Gunnedah Mentoring Program $143,803
Holroyd Parramatta Migrant Services Interactive CaLD Parents Support Services $175,332
Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters* HIPPY, La Perouse $182,411
Hope for the Children Foundation, Armidale Uralla and Walcha Home Visiting Project $120,000
Island Quarry Association* Sustainable Community Employment Network Enterprise $198,000
Kurrajong Early Intervention Service* Strengthening and Supporting Families in the Ashmont Community $64,149
Lower Mountains Family Support Service It Takes a Village $240,325
Macarthur Diversity Services Macarthur Multicultural Family Resource Worker $169,600
Mayumarri Trust Fund* Mayumarri’s Proven Solutions for Disadavantaged Children and Families $80,000
Noah’s Ark Centre of Shoalhaven* Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Early Childhood Intervention Project $94,278
Panthers on the Prowl Parent Support Program $375,290
SDN Children’s Services* Parent Resource Program $385,000
Shoalcare Aunties and Uncles Southern Shoalhaven $79,100
Spastic Centre of NSW* Parent Link $180,000
The Aunty Program* The Aunty Program Beyond Byron $137,399
The Benevolent Society* Eastern Sydney Community Leadership Program $141,936
The Family Centre Community Projects* REAL Skills Working with School Communities $240,640
The Uncle Project* Mentoring Activities $150,000
Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW) Community Volunteer Parent Support Network $150,000
Wyong Shire Council ABCD through Strengthening Communities $138,000
Youth Insearch Foundation (Aust.) Regional Youth Support (in 8 regions across NSW, QLD, TAS) $982,200
Northern Territory
Multicultural Council of the Northern Territory Multicultural Solutions $257,680
Anglicare NT Top End Ante and Post Natal Education and Support for Young Parents $220,000
Tangentyere Council* Yarrenyty-Arltere Learning Centre $155,830
Queensland
Bundaberg Skills Centre Positive Start $305,876
Community Connect Fraser Coast * Fraser Coast Family Connections $182,631
Dalby Town Council Myall Youth and Community Network Centre Coordinator $101,695
Gailes Residents Committee Continuous Living and Learning $207,957
Kath Dickson Family Centre Association Parenting Support Program $385,627
Lions Emergency Accommodation Centre * Better Start Program $139,076
Lutheran Community Care* Families Now $151,149
Magani Malu Kes Townsville Community Development Program $33,000
Mater Misericordiae Health Services Brisbane Interagency Infant Mental Health Network – Local Answers for Integrated Care $421,066
Namtec ACCEPTANCE – Mentoring Young Offenders $158,159
Queensland Youth Services PPOSSIBLEE Project $394,121
Redcliffe Domestic Violence Project Team* Expect Respect in Redcliffe $312,941
Redland Community Centre* Toddler Tactics – Changing Lives $456,238
Roseberry Youth Services Youth and Family Support Centre Parenting Project $5,730
Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation* Families 4 Life 2 $229,848
Save the Children Fund (QLD Division)* Future Parents Program $326,430
Mercy Family Services Grandies $128,985
University of Queensland Growing Stronger: Supporting and Connecting Parents of Children with Autism $192,826
Tasmania
Hobart City Mission Mobile Mission Project $133,314
Salvation Army (TAS) Parenting Partners $291,329
South Australia
Adelaide Central Community Health Service* Talking Realities – Youth Parenting Program $271,959
Anglicare SA Food ‘n’ Fun $410,972
Christie Downs Community House* Participate and Learn Skills (PALS) $239,807
City of Port Adelaide – Enfield* Le Fevre Children’s Program $65,800
Cottage Kitchen Walking for Life $18,789
Hackham West Community Centre* Hackham West Family Worker Project $128,498
Hawker Childhood Services Centre Hawker Community Creche $14,032
Lady Gowrie Child Centre* Through the Looking Glass $142,900
Migrant Resource Centre of SA* Supporting Young Refugees $60,000
Milang Progress Association* Village Life – Living Village $75,950
Relationships Australia SA Point Pearce – Increasing Generational Capacity $60,000
SA Children’s Writers Festival Books – Be In It $30,000
Smith Family SA EASE Tutoring Program $92,456
Spark Resource Centre * Parenting Games and Having Fun $41,740
Victoria
Anglicare Victoria Connected Families Help Build Strong Communities $381,000
Bounce Back Foundation* Strengthening Wathaurong Communities – Community Mentoring $105,000
Central Gippsland Health Service* Wellington Young Parents Program $143,395
Good Beginnings Latrobe* Home Visiting And Parenting Program $150,000
Good Shepherd Youth And Family Service Step Out $377,100
Lake Bolac Development Association Volunteer Empowerment Project $6,368
Lakes Entrance Community Health Outside Looking In-A Rural Perspective $3,700
Little River Kindergarten Little River Parent Library $2,000
Maribyrnong City Council JAM for Kids $417,560
Mission Australia Mentoring to Mobilise $162,812
Orana Family Services* The Youngest Parents Project $139,646
Peninsula Health – Frankston Community Health Service Frankston Community Kitchens Pilot $296,040
Reach Out For Kids Foundation (ROK) Whitehorse Alliance Parent Resource Project $109,020
Southern Family Life Services* Creating Capable Communities $377,810
Springvale Community Aid and Advice Bureau Volunteering Gateways to Inclusion for Diverse and Disadvantaged Communities $129,517
The Torch Project Re-Igniting Community Doveton $80,000
United Way Ballarat Community Fund Community Needs Analysis 2005-07 $6,000
Westernport Speaking Out Working Together – Achieving Together $60,000
Western Australia
Australian Red Cross Society (WA Division) Food Cent$ $177,740
Dar Al Shifah (Islamic)* Towards Leadership $167,720
Jalaris Aboriginal Corporation* Jalaris Family Support Outreach Service $156,306
Peel Community Development Group Peel Families and Schools Together $297,953
Peel Youth Program* Eyes Wide Open – Honouring Teenage Parents and their Children $105,052
Pilbara TAFE – Consultancy North Strengthening the Pilbara with Strong Indigenous Leaders $46,094
Rural Children’s Support Network (Midwest, Gascoyne and Murchison)* Midwest Family Support Service $132,863
Western Institute of Self-Help (WISH) Building a Greater South West Regional Self-Help Network $11,800