FUNDING TO HELP CHILDREN GROW STRONG
Monday 12 October 2009
Minister for Home Affairs Brendan O’Connor and Member for Oxley Bernie Ripoll today announced funding of $500,000 to Mission Australia to provide programs for children under five in Inala and Carole Park.
Mr O’Connor said Nurturing Pathways of Early Development: Help Us Grow Strong (HUGS) will be an early intervention program to provide a educational, nurturing and stimulating environment for these young children and their families as they lead up to school age.
“HUGS will work with disadvantaged families of children under five and offer them playgroups and parent support programs to help these children transition into Prep.
“Practical programs for the very young can help reduce the likelihood of them growing up to act in anti‑social ways or commit crimes.
“This project will also deliver multicultural and culturally specific Vietnamese, Samoan, Tongan and Indigenous playgroups so these children can improve their communication and social skills.”
Mission Australia is one of the country’s leading community service groups operating more than 300 employment, community service, housing, and rehabilitation programs across the nation.
Mr Ripoll said “Mission Australia has always valued the importance of the family unit, and this project will help disadvantaged families from our community access school, early childhood programs and information services.”
“HUGS will help families get the support they need to set their child up with the skills they’ll need to do well at school,” Mr Ripoll said.
The grant is one of a number to be made under the Proceeds of Crime Act (2002) which enables money from assets confiscated under Commonwealth law to be returned to the community. More than $6 million of funding under the Proceeds of Crime Act (2002) will be distributed to community groups for crime prevention and Indigenous prisoner projects.
Media Contact: Kylie Skotnicki 0402 298 728
