Federal budget provides support for families and Closing the Gap

Life Without Barriers commends some of the Federal Government’s investment in families and young people, including a focus on dedicated education funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.

Funding to support efforts to Close the Gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people has been awarded to SNAICC – National Voice for Our Children with the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation (NATSIEC).

Claire Robbs, Chief Executive of Life Without Barriers, said these measures will go towards helping families and young people amid rising inflation, widening Closing the Gap targets and a domestic and family violence crisis across the nation.

“This government has targeted funding where it matters most – in children and early education,” Ms Robbs said.

“The direct funding commitment around education for First Nations children and young people, and a $5.9 million allocation to a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Commissioner lay the foundations for true change in Closing the Gap.”

This budget has invested in cost-of-living relief, funding to combat Domestic and Family Violence (DFV), paid parental leave reform and $29.1 million over 4 years, with $8.7 million per year ongoing, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peaks to partner with Government on issues impacting our children in early childhood and education.

“Alongside economic pressures, DFV is a major contributing factor in children entering the child protection system. With an almost 30% spike in the rate of Australian women killed by intimate partners last year, our current strategies are not working and the impact on children is immeasurable.

Ms Robbs welcomed the budget’s investment into advocacy organisations as it works with the sector to rebuild the NDIS to better serve people with disability.

“The voice and lived experience of people with disability in Australia should lead how reforms to the NDIS are implemented.”

This budget includes further funding to bolster disability advocacy organisations’ voice and influence through advisory committees on the NDIS.

“Life Without Barriers is encouraged to see the government invest in mechanisms that provide transparent advice to government on the efficacy of disability supports and to oversee the implementation of the reforms in line with the NDIS review,” Ms Robbs said.