Child FIRST Network
The ChildFIRST Network meetings facilitated and supported by the Centre have been well attended by our membership since its inception in March 2007. Information-sharing and brainstorming of issues and challenges form an essential part of these meetings, particularly as the 2nd Round Alliances have come on board. The final group of 8 Alliances will be on board during February 2009, and the Network will welcome representatives from these to the 2009 meetings.
Some recent issues discussed at the 6-weekly meetings have included:
§ the new FaPMI (Families where a Parent has a Mental Illness) funding and its impact on ChildFIRST services;
§ elements of the Centre’s 08/09 Budget Bid, which includes priority areas around early Intervention/prevention and requesting adequate resourcing for ChildFIRST and family support services to meet the increasingly complex needs of presenting clients;
§ Unit Price review of integrated family services;
§ the Family Violence benchmark project.
§ reflections by professor Cathy Humphreys of the first 18 months of ChildFIRST and the implications for future policy and practice
First meeting for 2009 was held on 6 February with the customary very good turn-out. As per our agreement at the October 08 ChildFIRST Forum, the ChildFIRST network is seen as both advocacy focused as well as having an important role re. developing an on-going knowledge base and being solutions-focussed; and to continue mutual support/ information exchange for members. The Centre looks forward to issuing a special invitation to new alliances coming on board in 2009 for specific information provision and welcome prior to next Forum meeting in April.
The Centre continues to play a key role in helping maintain the momentum of the group via stimulating guest speakers, and ensuring the advocacy/knowledge management roles are strongly led. The network’s name will also be changed to acknowledge both ChildFIRST and Family Services input to the network.
ChildFIRST & Integrated Family Services Network meeting dates for 2010:
Tuesday 9 February
Thursday 8 April
Wednesday 30 June
Wednesday 18 August
Wednesday 3 November
Wednesday 15 December
All meetings will be held at the Centre for Excellence Training Room, and run from 10am – 2 or 2:30 pm
A note on Families where a Parent has a Mental Illness (FaPMI)
Funding was provided in the 2008/09 State Budget for more support for this strategy, which aims to reduce the impact of parental mental illness on family members through timely preventative and supportive action. In 2006 part-time FaPMI co-ordinators were funded in 7 mental health locations in Victoria. The new funding adds a further 4.5 FTE to this number, totalling 8 FTE co-ordinators throughout the State. It is hoped that the additional funding will strengthen the capacity to target vulnerable families engaged with ChildFIRST services who have a mental illness or possible substance abuse issues.
Click here to access 'ChildFIRST members only' page