Page 1611 - Week 04 - Thursday, 25 March 2010
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appropriate services, to enhance social participation of young people from multicultural backgrounds and to improve access to services which support the mental health of children and young people of multicultural backgrounds.
The ACT Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Office of Children, Youth and Family Support will liaise with the Multicultural Youth Service as well as all other organisations with an interest in advancing the well being of multicultural children and youth in the ACT to meet the stated objectives and their implementation
(3) The Department funds a number of youth and family services which are accessible to children and young people from multicultural backgrounds, including:
• the Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services – Program for After School Studies, a program for after school studies which receives $41,384 per annum. Students are matched with volunteer tutors based on the subjects or areas of study where they need assistance;
• Companion House which receives $137,000 per annum to provide two programs, the Children and Young People’s Program which aims to enhance the overall wellbeing of refugee children and young people who have been affected by torture and war trauma and the Community Development Program which builds the capacity of services, the community at large and volunteers; and
• CatholicCare which receives $187,787 per annum to provide family support services through the provision of case management and group based services to children, young people and their families. CatholicCare report that a majority of their clients are Culturally and Linguistically Diverse. From July to December 2009, 48% of CatholicCare’s clients identified as Culturally and Linguistically Diverse.
During July to December 2009 Family Support Programs reported 27% of families receiving ongoing family support identified as Culturally and Linguistically Diverse. This equates to 99 families.
For the 2009-10 financial year the Early Intervention and Prevention Service of the Office for Children, Youth and Family Support identified engagement with families from diverse backgrounds as a key service delivery priority. An overarching strategy is being developed across the two Child and Family Centres to develop stronger community connections to reach isolated families and to promote early childhood and parenting services.
The Child and Family Centres are a ‘one stop shop’ for all families. Services provided include drop in parenting information and support, maternal and child health clinics, midwifery clinics, parent education groups, targeted group and family support programs for vulnerable families, school based group and individual support programs in identified primary schools. The model of service delivery promotes prevention and early intervention as well as working in a coordinated way with health, education and other services in the community.
Specific initiatives to promote programs to multicultural children and young people include:
• Provision of parenting information, and age appropriate activities for under school aged children at the ACT Multicultural Festival in February 2010;
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