Grant funding to help support vulnerable Cherbourg children and families

A Cherbourg organisation that works with families to help keep Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children safe in their own homes has received Queensland Government funding of $200,000 to turn their ideas into reality.

Child Safety Minister Di Farmer said Cherbourg Regional Aboriginal and Islander Community Health Services was one of six organisations to receive funding under the latest round of Empowering Families Innovation Grants.

“These grants are an important investment in ideas seeking to transform life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children - from local projects or early-stage ideas right through to larger-scale implementation-ready projects,” she said.

The second round of grants was for projects that focused on home support, family reunification, foster care recruitment, family finder services as well as innovative approaches to enable the voices of children and families to be heard.

“The Cherbourg ‘Connecting Kin’ is a year-long intensive project that works with families where children are living with grandparents or another relative but with no long-term plan in place and where the children are at risk of entering care,” Ms Farmer said.

“Connecting Kin will provide in-home support that enables family reunification and work to identify long term support networks within the family.

“I am delighted that Connecting Kin has received funding that will help keep Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children safe, well and connected to family, kin, culture and country.”

Ms Farmer said the grants contributed to Our Way: a generational strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families and the Changing Tracks Action Plan which has committed $6 million over three years to reduce the disproportionate representation of child and young people in the care system.

“The Queensland Government’s goal is to reduce the number of South Burnett Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the care system and improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families experiencing vulnerability.

“The Empowering Families Innovation Grants help us come up with new ways to draw on the strengths, capabilities and leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, communities and organisations.”   

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Media Contact:                      Ron Goodman                        0427 781 920