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Key projects in South Australia to help overcome disadvantage
Freya Lucas
Dec 18, 2024
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The South Australian and Federal Governments have teamed up to invest in two key projects to tackle disadvantage across SA communities.
More than $8 million in Commonwealth funding will be matched by the SA Government over the next four years under the first investments of the Outcomes Fund initiative. The Young Parent Project will be one of the recipients of the funding and will support at-risk young mothers aged under 25 years of age with a focus on those who have been in, or are at risk of, contact with the care and protection system. The program aims to increase parenting capacity, improve children’s development, improve family functioning and wellbeing while also creating employment pathways for participants through a 16-week in-person coaching program. It will demonstrate how effective early interventions targeting young parents can disrupt intergenerational cycles of disadvantage. The second recipient of the funding will be the Workplace Program which aims to improve outcomes for young men that would otherwise exit custody to homelessness. These are two of the first projects to be funded under the $100 million Commonwealth Outcomes Fund which aims to empower local communities to implement place-based solutions and create stronger accountability for results compared to traditional funding mechanisms. The Outcomes Fund is part of the Albanese Government’s $200 million Targeting Entrenched Disadvantage package.“These South Australian projects are perfect examples of frontline, community-led programs which seek to benefit their target cohorts while simultaneously working with the government to improve capability in outcomes based contracting,” Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said.
“For the Young Parent Project in particular, we know investing in the early years of a child’s life provides the best chance to positively influence later life outcomes and disrupt intergenerational cycles of disadvantage.” “This is also the critical time to empower parents and caregivers with the skills, resources and capabilities they need to give their children the best start in life.” For more information contact outcomesfund@dss.gov.au
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