20 December 2022
Member Update
Dear Families ACT members,
Our last member update for the year provides information about our advocacy work, ACT government grants and some members’ projects. We hope you all have a restful break over the holiday season and wish you a Happy New Year! Our offices will be closed from Friday 23 December 2022 and reopen on Tuesday 3 January 2023.
Commissioning Update
Child and Family Services Reform Forum - 6 December 2022
On 6 December 2022, Families ACT attended an ACT Government forum to progress the implementation of recent child and family services strategies, with a particular focus on the first 4-year action plan under the Next Steps for Our Kids 2022-2030 (Next Steps) strategy. The forum was the second in a series that brought together a wide range of partners, including government, academic and community sector representatives to discuss broader system reform. The first 4-year action plan under Next Steps is due for release in early 2023 and is currently being refined by the Next Steps Reform and Strategy Implementation team incorporating the feedback provided at the forum. The full analysis of the feedback will be available online in early 2023.
Refreshed Commissioning Roadmap 2022-24
On 13 December 2022, Yvonne attended the online launch of the refreshed 2022 -2024 Commissioning Roadmap. The stated intention of the refresh was to ensure that the roadmap remains valuable, useful and relevant. For more information see the updated Commissioning website.
Other Updates
Investment in Parents with Disabilities Project
We have been asked to promote this project to our members and other interested stakeholders who work with parents with disabilities. ACT Disability Aged and Carer Advocacy Service (ADACAS) and Advocacy for Inclusion have started a project to find the best ways to support parents with disabilities. The project will also look at the things that make it harder to be a parent with a disability. They have asked Dr Fiona Tito Wheatland to help them with this. Fiona wants to talk to parents with disabilities to find out what would help them. If you work with parents with disabilities, then please see below for more details on how to get in touch with Fiona. Alternatively, parents with disabilities can answer the questions via this confidential online survey at surveymonkey.com/r/LW2XVB9.
Annual YOGIE Awards 2022
On Friday 9th December 2022, Will attended the Youth Coalition of the ACT’s YOGIE awards ceremony which was presented by Yvette Berry, MLA, Minister for Education and Youth Affairs.
Awards were given out in 10 categories that recognise the work of groups and individuals, with young people, workers, individuals, programs and services invited to provide nominations. For more information and to read about the winners, read the winners booklet.
ACT Government Grants
The following ACT government grants are currently open, find more information and how to apply via the hyperlinked headings:
Community Support and Infrastructure Grants
These grants provide funding for community groups or organisations to improve their programs and services in the following categories:
community support and capacity building projects;
non-fixed infrastructure and equipment, except information technology and audio-visual displays; and
minor capital works and fixed infrastructure.
Applications close at 5 pm on Monday 6 February 2023.
Tenant Participation Grants
These grants give eligible ACT public and community housing tenants and their families the opportunity to take part in activities that can be costly by providing up to $400 per person for an activity of their choice. If you or your organisation knows a tenant who might be interested encourage them to visit the Housing grants page on the Community Services Directorate website.
Applications close at 5 pm on Monday 16 January 2023.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Grants
A total of $220,000 is available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and organisations for projects in the following categories:
Cultural: supports the aspirations of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and contribute to the building of respectful, fair and sustainable communities.
Leadership: supports Community Leadership, where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a strong voice, are decision makers on issues that impact them and lead in the achievement of positive life outcomes.
Scholarship: supports Lifelong Learning, where respect is given to preserving the world’s oldest living cultures which enhances social inclusion and empowers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to engage in lifelong learning and positive generational experiences.
Applications close 5 pm on Thursday 23 February 2023.
Reconciliation Day Grants
Community members and organisations can apply for a grant of up to $5,000 to run events and initiatives in the lead up to and during Reconciliation Day celebrations on 29 May 2023.
Applications close 5 pm on Monday 13 February 2023.
Disability Inclusion Grants
If you are part of a local club, group, community organisation or small business that wants to increase the opportunities for people with disability, apply for a Disability Inclusion grant. A grant will help you and your organisation address attitudinal, communication, and physical barriers to access and inclusion. This may include:
training programs
awareness raising and related materials
assistive technology
infrastructure modifications.
Applications are open until 5 pm Monday 6 March 2023.
Sector Development Update
Our sector development work for the year finished with a child protection training for team leaders and middle managers on 13 December 2022. The training was provided by CYPS and focused on the threshold for reporting and strategies for diversion. We have started planning our training and sector development for 2023 which will be listed on our webpage when finalised. Thank you to all our members, CSD and sector partners for your ongoing support. We look forward to seeing you and your teams in 2023 for more training and sector development.
Best wishes,
Yvonne Gritschneder
comms@familiesact.org.au
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