3 February 2015 | General Interest
Equity Trustees Foundation has awarded almost $68,000 in grants to organisations that support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in out-of-home care.
The grants were awarded to three organisations across Australia: Save the Children Australia in Western Australia was provided funding to pilot a program that will provide mentoring to vulnerable Aboriginal young people; the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) will run living skills camps for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people who are preparing to leave out-of-home care; and The Buttery in northern New South Wales will run wilderness treks for Aboriginal young people who have complex behavioural problems, providing counselling and therapy.
SNAICC CEO Frank Hytten welcomed the grants, pointing to the need for more support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care.
“It’s critically important that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in care remain connected with their family, community and cultural identity, both while in care and for life outcomes beyond,” Mr Hytten said.
“At present, far too many Indigenous children in care lose that connection, at great economic, human and social cost. Equity Trustees’ contribution will help redress this serious issue and I look forward to its ongoing support for this work.”
“It remains of great concern that today there are over 14,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care. This represents 34 per cent of all children in care despite comprising only 4.4 per cent of the national child population.”
“There is much to be done to close the gap between the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in Australia. This funding will help to support some of Australia’s youngest and most vulnerable.”
More information about the grant program and the organisations that were awarded grants can be found via the Equity Trustees website.
Equity Trustees has provided support to not for profit and charitable organisations for over 95 years. The foundation called for applications from organisations that care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in foster care, residential care, and kinship care. The foundation were particularly eager to find programs that support children and young people to maintain or rebuild connection to their family, community, culture, and country.
