Children's Services
Children's Services
This service has two components:
Children's Worker
Children services provide individual support and group programs to dependent children of women who are accessing support through SalvoConnect Western as a result of being homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Referrals are received directly from SalvoConnect Western staff where they assess a need for children services to be involved for the benefit of the children.
The Children’s Support Worker can case manage up to 8 children at one time.
Group work programs are designed and delivered where it is identified that a similar need for the group exists for multiple children.
The Children’s Support Worker is available to SalvoConnect Western staff for feedback and advice regarding the support needs of dependent children at any time.
It can include
- Support and advice for parents on behavioural issues
- Linking children into community based services
- Sessions with child focusing on developmental areas
- Assessment on developmental progress of child
- Information and advice about appropriate play equipment, toys
- Involvement with groups
- Linking in with holiday or special event programmes
- Liaison with other parent focused services
- School enrolment
- Brokerage for school uniforms and books
The children’s services are funded by the State Government (through HSS - Homelessness Support Services) and by The Salvation Army.
LARF Mentor Group
Life skills, Activities, Relationships, Friendship & Fun
The LARF program is provided to children and youth who experience social isolation due to homelessness, family violence, poverty, and substance abuse and / or family breakdown.
The program format is based on the matching of trained 16-25 year old volunteer mentors with young people 8-16 years of age.
There are two LARF groups. One for primary school aged children and one for youth aged up to 15. The groups run fortnightly during school terms from 7 – 9pm.