Communities for Children Plus to help WA families

Families in Midland, WA, will benefit from the new Communities for Children Plus site, which will help children under the age of 12 who need extra support to reach their full potential.

Launched last month by Parliamentary Secretary for Community Services, Julie Collins, the Communities for Children Plus service will be delivered by Swan Alliance – which is made up of Mission Australia, Anglicare WA and the parenting service Ngala.

It is one of eight Communities for Children Plus sites in communities of high disadvantage, the others being Kempsey and Campbelltown in New South Wales, Playford in South Australia, Launceston in Tasmania, Ipswich in Queensland, Cardinia in Victoria, and East Arnhem in the Northern Territory.

The Swan Alliance will receive $3.3 million over three years to offer a range of services for local Midland families, including playgroups, after-school and school holiday activities, and events to encourage social interaction between parents from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

These services will be delivered in Beechboro, Bullsbrook, Caversham, Ellenbrook, Kiara, Koongamia, Lockridge, Middle Swan, Midland, Stratton and Midvale.

"This is not a silver bullet but a long-term plan,” Mission Australia's WA Director Ross Kyrwood said last week.
“We want to see this longer dream bring about some real change. We hope the community can learn to trust us to bring about transformation."

Image courtesy of Community Newspaper Group