Since 2013, our registered special school has been offering education to children from the local foster families as well as to children who have not been previously able to attend school.  The positive impact on the lives of local children attending our school has been significant and we have been able to provide good quality education to children as well as parent / carer education programs and special events held on site for these families.

 

We are aware that there are significantly more families in the surrounding community who do not have the resources to be able to send their disabled child to school, who struggle to provide for very basic needs, and who are unable to go on family outings or visit places of interest in the community.  The provision of these would enhance their lives and enrich their life experiences.  This project aims to address the need for education and family support for disadvantaged children within the local community.  We hope to extend our community support by using our existing staff, resources and expertise to connect with local families and coordinate the provision and /or adaptation of activities and learning opportunities as those successfully implemented in our school. 

 

Our aim is to support local families to meet both the basic and specialised needs of their children.  This may involve the provision of equipment / resources to support their transition to local schools, provision of healthy and nutritious food, and to provide for parent / carer education programs to support families to better meet their child's needs. We also hope to provide events within their community e.g. sporting activities, art / craft sessions, music programs and to provide opportunities that would enable families to travel together to local places of interest.

 

Our longer-term goal would be to make links with and invite members of local business, local Government officials and community leaders to become involved in all aspects of this project to provide sustainability long term.