10 April 2006 - A Rockingham-based
programme to help teenage parents complete their
schooling is one of three local initiatives to
receive a total of almost $500,000 by the Australian
Government to help strengthen families and communities.
The Rockingham Educating Young Parents scheme
will receive $273,000 over 34 months to help young
parents in the Rockingham, Waikiki and Warnbro
areas become economically independent, engaged
citizens through a supportive education programme.
Announced today by Western Australian Senator
Ian Campbell, the Local Answers programme funding
also will help multicultural families in the Peel
region improve parenting, communication and conflict
resolution skills and fund a Healthy Breakfast
Club to provide breakfast to children from disadvantaged
backgrounds.
Senator Campbell congratulated the recipients,
who are among 40 communities across Australia
to share in $20 million under the latest round
of the Local Answers initiative.
“Projects such as these will create opportunities
for families to build on their skills and abilities
and provide assistance where it is most needed,”
he said.
“The Local Answers initiative is part of the $490
million Stronger Families and Communities Strategy,
which gives communities the power to develop solutions
to local problems through small-scale projects.”
The Empowering Peel Multicultural Families Project
will be coordinated by the Fremantle Education
Centre, Rockingham Educating Young Parents will
be run by Kwinana Industries Education Partnership
Incorporated and the Healthy Breakfast Club will
be provided by the Mandurah-based WestAus Crisis
and Welfare Services.
Funding for Local Answers is provided by the Minister
for Families, Community Services and Indigenous
Affairs Mal Brough. For more information on the
Stronger Families and Communities Strategy, visit
www.facs.gov.au/sfcs.
