RELATED INITIATIVES

This page lists other parallel initiatives and projects with strong cross-over and potential synergy with Families Matter. Suggestions for additions are welcome and may be directed to manager@familiesmatter.org.au.

This symbol indicates that the document is a PDF file. To read these documents you will need Adobe® Reader®. If you do not already have it, you can download a free copy of Adobe Reader here.

FAMILY-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS

A joint initiative by the Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO), the Australian Parents Council (APC) and the Federal Department of Education, Science & Training (DEST), to develop a National Framework to assist and support effective Family-School Partnerships across the country.

A Discussion Draft of the proposed National Framework to support and sustain effective partnerships between families, schools and communities has been issued for public comment. Feedback is invited via a Response Form.

Further information is available online from web pages on the project maintained by ACSSO, APC and DEST.

OUR KIDS MATTER - PAINT SNIFFING: THE CHARTERS TOWERS STORY

Inhalant misuse became a concern to residents of Charters Towers in Queensland in the early months of 2002. Prior to this it had been confined to isolated incidences or users.

Welfare and other service organisations became aware of the rising problem and wanted to move quickly to contain it. Indigenous workers from the Charters Towers District Health Service and the Charters Towers Police Service organised meetings and discussions between families and service organisations.

The emphasis from these early meetings was

to work together, develop partnerships and collaborate
to concentrate on positives and ignore blame
to concentrate on action rather than strategies which would get bogged down in dialogue
to make this a whole of community issue (it was not only indigenous youth involved)

These four areas of foci became the foundation for the community action that followed and ensured that “Our Kids Matter” became a ground up project driven by the community.

Click here to read the paper presented by Elaine Gostzyla, Life Promotion Officer and Shiradean George, Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Services Worker, Charters Towers District Health Service to a conference on inhalant abuse in July 2003.

Top