Each day seems to bring more sad and confronting news as the latest COVID outbreaks play out. As always, my thoughts are with those of you who are continuing to deliver vital services in challenging circumstances – as well as keeping yourselves and your families safe and occupied. Our sector is resilient but the toll this is taking on our services – and particularly our dedicated workers – is by no means lost on me.
Still, the world keeps turning, and our calendars are filled with events intended to elevate the importance and understanding of particular issues within the Australian discourse. We have a few in this fortnight that are definitely worth highlighting.
This week is National Homelessness Week. Having stable, decent, affordable housing is core to everyone’s health and wellbeing. This week reminds me that the ability to engage fully in society is so intertwined with the status of one’s housing. We know too well in our sector that there are many potential pitfalls and times of risk in the lifecycle where homelessness can become the lived reality for people. Some of the recent conversations about the COVID-19 vaccination scheme and the particular challenges for those in our society who are homeless means we do need to work harder at bringing vital services to them in the absence of a place they can call home.
Yesterday was National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day which seeks to keep clear in the minds of Australian people the importance of these children and highlight not only the significant obstacles and challenges they have in life but their strengths and gifts. It was good to read in this morning’s newspapers that the Federal Government is committing $1b towards measures intended to address initiatives within the ‘Closing the Gap’ policy agenda. This injection of funding has been well received by the Coalition of Peaks Chair, Pat Turner AM, and we look forward to reading the announcement in more detail.
The last Sunday in July celebrated Stepfamilies Day. According to Stepfamilies Australia, there are an estimated 1 in 5 Australians who are part of a stepfamily or blended family with stepfamilies/blended families the fasting growing type of family in Australia at the current time. It is a relatively new celebration in Australia’s Calendar but has been celebrated in the United States for many years. Given the work our members are involved in we appreciate the special role stepparents play in raising children. Stepfamilies day exists to ‘recognise and celebrate the many different family types in Australia and acknowledge the important role stepparents can play in our children’s lives’. As a mother who had three children five years and under at one point in my life – my three sets of grandparents were a gift that just keeps on giving and I certainly do not take them for granted.
This morning, Robyn and I met with a couple of key staff in the Department of Social Services to discuss next steps in the consultation phase around the DSS funded programs under the Families and Children Activity. The Department is keen to reboot those consultations and discussions now that funding agreements and associated AWP’s are close to being finalised. We anticipate there will be some advice coming out about that within the next fortnight.
By Jackie Brady
