2018 Grant Recipients
Congratulations to our 2018 $100,000 Primary Grant Recipient:
SHINE for Kids
“Rise Education Program” by SHINE for Kids
SHINE for Kids was founded in 1982. Its core purpose is to provide crucial support to children and young people with incarcerated parents. SHINE programs provide positive opportunities and trauma-informed support to reduce the likelihood of these children transitioning into child protection and justice systems, help avoid family fragmentation and intergenerational offending, and to reduce both juvenile and adult recidivism.
Issue: Children with incarcerated parents are the invisible victims of crime who experience psychological trauma and impact on their emotional and social development, as well as shame, stigma, financial disadvantage, instability and risk of homelessness. They are six times more likely to end up in prison and 40% more likely to drop out of school than others. 45.7 percent of NSW inmates are parents of at least one child aged under 16.
Participants: At least 30 children from K to year 6 in 18 schools, with 90 teachers and 30 volunteers being trained.
Activities: Training of mentors and teachers to enable one on one weekly classroom support by volunteer mentors over a period of a year; ongoing support from teachers; annual group outing for all children and their mentors.
IMPACT100 funding: to support a pilot ‘Rise Education Program’ (REP) in Western Sydney.
Outcomes: Improved school attendance, engagement with education, and academic performance; increased self-esteem; reduced anti-social behaviour and school suspensions; increased teacher awareness and school protective factors.
Impact measurement: No formal social return on investment analysis, but impact can be inferred from the high social costs incurred if these vulnerable young people are not supported effectively (through reduced earnings, and costs of criminal justice, welfare, and poor health).
Collaboration: local primary school teachers and principals, The Smith Family, technical advisers, caregivers, Centrelink, FACS, Juvenile Justice, Rotary and Lions Clubs, local businesses and others.
2021 Update
Thanks to the support of IMPACT100 Sydney North members, SHINE has been able to grow this training program nationally. The RISE program is now being delivered in Grafton, Wagga Wagga, Bathurst, Kempsey, Goulburn, Brimbank, Frankston, Townsville/Palm Island. Importantly, SHINE continues to support the children of prisoners in Western Sydney through a funding partnership with FICAP.
Read the external report from University of Western Sydney about SHINE’s Teacher Training Program HERE. We are very proud to support the wonderful work of SHINE for Kids.
Congratulations to our 2018 $10,000 Merit Award Recipients
“Immediate assistance of essential nursery items for babies and children from families in need” by Dandelion Support Network
Dandelion Support Network was established in 2011. Its core purpose is to ensure all babies and children have access to nursery items essential for their safety, well-being and development. It aims to do this in a sustainable way to reduce waste and be environmentally responsible.
Issue: disadvantaged families with limited financial means need assistance with key nursery items that allow their children to sleep and travel safely, and the provision of sufficient children’s clothing, toys and linen. Much child equipment goes to landfill when it could be cleaned/repaired and re-used by those who need it.
Participants: a minimum of 600 disadvantaged refugee and young parent families (under 25).
Activities: accept, sort, and safety check pre-loved and new nursery equipment, children’s clothes, toys and linen which are then re-homed free of charge to families in need through partnerships with social workers from hospitals and welfare organisations.
IMPACT100 funding: to provide timely assistance for refugees and young parent families who are can not afford cots, prams, car seats, clothes, toys etc, and often lack social connections.
Outcomes: babies and children are able to sleep and travel safely and have the essential nursery items they require, easing of financial burden and improving the mental health of the refugee and young parents of the children; improved mobility and social engagement of family members; and increased sense of wellbeing and positive outlook for the future.
Impact measurement: social return on investment of approximately 3.5 times the cost involved (this will be higher when increased mobility for parents is added); keep approximately 24 tonnes of items out of landfill by providing preloved items along with the new essential nursery items.
Collaboration: Over 200 implementing partners who request and deliver to families. Those dealing with refugees and young parents include Anglicare, Barnados, Benevolent Society, CatholicCare Family Support, Community Services, House of Welcome, Launchpad Youth Community, Life Without Barriers, NSW Refugee Health Service, Red Cross, Settlement Services International, STARTTS, Weave Youth Family Community.
“SISTER2sister” by Life Changing Experiences Foundation
Life Changing Experiences Foundation was established in 2003. Its core purpose is to help Australia’s most marginalised girls grow into strong independent women capable of taking their place in the world. LCEF offers youth support and education programs for young girls who have experienced trauma and abuse or come from particularly disadvantaged low socio-economic circumstances. SISTER2sister is the flagship program of LCEF.
Issue: Childhood trauma has deep effects on development and functioning which, left unaddressed, cause great disadvantage. This can lead to: self-harm, high-risk and anti-social behaviours, disengagement from school, difficulty with friendships, and poor prospects of settled employment, good relationships and a positive future. Guidance, education, mentoring and a safe-haven is needed to break the cycle of abuse and neglect.
Participants: up to 50 vulnerable or disadvantaged teenage girls (Little Sisters) aged from 12-18 years.
Activities: recruit, screen and train successful female volunteer mentors (Big Sisters) to partner (1:1) with ‘at-risk’ teenage girls (Little Sisters) and support them through a structured year-long mentoring and education program. This includes a 3-day residential camp and monthly 1-day group events for girls and their mentors; weekly catch-ups between individual girls and their mentors over a period of a year.
IMPACT100 funding: to support evidence-based and trauma-informed youth development program including structured mentoring, psychoeducational workshops, welfare support and crisis intervention services.
Outcomes: Stable management of mental health issues, fewer incidence of self-harm, fewer deaths through suicide, reduction in drug/alcohol use and addiction, increase in school attendance and completion, engagement with employment. Empowerment of the girls to make positive choices for a better future.
Impact measurement: social return on investment of 6.8 times cash cost according to analysis conducted by Incus Consulting.
Collaboration: working with school counsellors, youth workers, Community Service caseworkers, welfare agencies and police enforcement to identify the girls in greatest need of education, support and guidance. Sharing trauma-informed approach with other organisations (e.g. an in-school program, “No Limits 4 Girls” for year 7 girls) to spread their ideas and positive impact.
“Love of Learning” by The Pyjama Foundation
The Pyjama Foundation was founded in 2004. It core purpose is to empower children in foster care by giving them life skills and confidence in order to change the direction of their life. The program was initially based on the empirically proven impact of a simple activity that most take for granted – having books read to them. The program has now expanded into numeracy and a variety of life skills, socialisation and life mentoring.
Issue: Approximately 1% of children live in Out of Home Care (OOHC), with 22,000 in NSW. Typically they have suffered severe emotional and/or physical abuse, neglect and trauma. On average they are four years behind academically. Without intervention, 75% will not go on to complete to year 12.
Participants: 200 volunteers to mentor 200 foster children.
Activities: trained volunteers each mentor a foster child in their home once a week, for 1 year, to tutor, read and have educational play.
IMPACT100 funding: support expansion of the current small program in Western Sydney towards a fee-for-service sustainable model.
Outcomes: Improved literacy & comprehension skills, more engaged at school, and therefore more likely to catch-up/keep-up and complete their education successfully, as a basis for a positive future.
Impact measurement: social return on investment analysis by Social Ventures Australia indicates social return is 4.86 times the cash cost.
Collaboration: currently working with Anglicare, Arafmi, Barnados, Benevolent Society, Kari, Key Assets, CareSouth, Catholic Care, Challenge Community Services, Lifestyle Solutions, Life Without Barriers, Mirabel, Wesley Dalmar Mission, FACS and Settlement Services International.
2018 SEMI-FINALISTS
Dalwood Spilstead Service,established in 1922 provides early intervention and support services for children at risk up to 12 yrs. Our funding would support the Child’s Play project helping 50 children in Out Of Home Care considered at high risk of long-term emotional disorders, using the Neuro-sequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) assessment and intervention.
Mirabel Foundation was established in 1998 to support children who have been orphaned or abandoned due to their parent’s illicit drug abuse. Our funding would go to the Breaking the Cycle program to reduce social isolation, build a sense of community and help up to 224 children develop critical life skills in a safe and nurturing environment.
Talmudande helps vulnerable & homeless young people 12 -21 yrs & and their families. It operates the only 24/7 crisis refuge for young people in Northern Sydney. Our funding would go to the Intensive Family Support Program to expand support into Inner Western Sydney to help prevent 25 young people from becoming homeless and the preservation of families.
Established in 2006, Top Blokes works to improve the mental health, emotional resilience and community engagement of at-risk and disadvantaged young men aged 10-24. Our funding would support the expansion of their work to Northern Sydney including the employment of two youth workers, delivering 24 programs and engaging around 235 young men.