$9.9 million boost for family support services in Great Southern, Crook
Author: Tony Crook
Published on: 29-September-2011
Federal Member for O’Connor Tony Crook MP has welcomed the announcement of $9.9 million in federal funding over three years for service organisations in the Great Southern.
Federal Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Hon Jenny Macklin MP, announced the funding as part of the Federal Government’s Family Support Program.
Mr Crook said the funding would help provide important services for families in O’Connor.
“Organisations like Anglicare, Relationships Australia, Wanslea and Amity Health (formerly Great Southern GP Network) provide an essential service for regional Australians.
“They play an important in keeping our regional communities resilient and sustainable.”
Major funding recipients in the Great Southern included the Amity Health ($2.744 million), Relationships Australia ($2.109 million), Anglicare ($2.012 million) and Wanslea ($1.779 million).
Mr Crook said the funding would be used to provide essential family support services, as well as to administer the Communities for Children program in the Great Southern.
Communities for Children is designed to provide prevention and early intervention programs for families with young children at risk of disadvantage or unable to access childhood services.
“An early intervention program such as this will provide great benefits for children later in life, and it will give vulnerable and disadvantaged families better support,” Mr Crook said.
Richard Keeler from Amity Health said the funding is being put to good use.
“Amity Health contracts more than 30 non government organisations, schools, community resource centres and allied health professionals to deliver support for families through Communities for Children.
“We are delighted to be able to continue to support these great programs running across the Great Southern region over the next three years,” Mr Keeler said.
More than $16.5 million will be allocated to family services across O’Connor over the next three years through the Family Support Program.
Mr Crook thanked the Minister for delivering this funding to address a service gap in regional communities.
“Families living in the regional WA recognise how difficult it can be to access important services. With support from the Federal Government to deliver these services, I look forward to seeing positive long-term benefits for our regional families.”
See this article on the member's website