Families Australia strongly believes that there should be:
- A substantial increase in resources devoted to the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009-2020. We propose that an additional $120 million be provided over four years especially to support targeted family and child related services.
- Growth in real terms in the Federal Family Support Program over the next four years, ideally by a minimum of 10-15%, and for FSP activities increasingly to focus on early intervention and integrated service delivery initiatives.
- A substantial increase in funding for all Federal Government ‘Closing the Gap’ programs and urge that programs be designed and delivered in an ongoing and close partnership with Indigenous peoples. We align ourselves with the views being put forward by the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care.
- An improvement in the overall remuneration of community sector workers as a result of the Pay Equity Test Case 2010, with the Federal Government fully supporting NGOs in meeting the anticipated wages gap.
Specifically, Families Australia proposes:
- The establishment of a pilot parenting program for young mothers and fathers with special attention to needs of Indigenous people and those in, or leaving out-of-home care.
- A national grant program for local grandparent and other kinship carer support groups.
- The placement of dedicated grandparent/kinship/foster care liaison officers in at least 20 Centrelink offices around Australia.
- Free TAFE or university training for young out-of-home-care leavers.
- Doubling of the Transition to Independent Living Allowance to $3,000 per person leaving care.
- The provision of leaving care plans for all young people leaving care.
- Support services (referrals, advice and support, training and drop-in centres) for Forgotten Australians in every State and Territory.
- A national NGO coordination service that links siblings of children or young people who have a disability or chronic illness, and their families, to early intervention and support services, and the development of a national strengths-based service delivery model.
A pilot child and family support program which identifies the needs of, and provides targeted support for, children and families of offenders.