SA Children’s Commissioner makes new grants available to support children’s voices

The South Australian Children’s Commissioner has announced the opening of a new round of grant funding, designed to support local government or not-for-profit entities to apply for a small grant to facilitate the inclusion of children and young people in decision making.

The grants support the Commissioner’s mandate to improve the lives of South Australian children and young people through creating opportunities for them to have a say on issues that affect them and for their views to be heard and taken seriously. 

A key part of this work, the Commissioner said, is collaborating with like minded community groups committed to exploring and supporting mechanisms that embed UNCRC principles in their work. This includes inviting input from children and young people into the design, variety and type of services and support provided to ensure it remains relevant to their needs. 

The financial support can be used to pay for costs associated with giving children and young people an opportunity to contribute to meetings, including covering attendance costs, venue hire or administration of the process.

Eligibility Criteria

The Commissioner’s Community Conversation Grant is available for local government and not-for-profit  service providers based in South Australia that:

• have appropriate legal structures and are community based
• have appropriate child safe policies and practices in place
• use the financial support directly for the purpose intended; and
• seek to work collaboratively with the Commissioner for Children and Young People SA on issues of relevance to her work in addressing systemic issues that if addressed will improve the quality of children and young peoples lives.

Recipients of the Commissioner’s Community Conversation Grant will be asked to agree to the following:

• Undertake conversations, discussions, forums or focus groups with children and young people in their local community to inform the work they undertake to ensure it includes children and young people’s ideas, opinions and voice.
• Broker conversations between children and young people and the Commissioner to inform her ongoing advocacy agenda.

To find out more or to apply, please see here.