News

Siblings Australia Petition

Posted: January 25, 2008 2:30 PM

We have set up a petition which we will send to the Federal Government. The petition focuses on two points:

1. Identify which Government department will take responsibility for siblings of people with special needs.

2. Ensure that Siblings Australia receives recurrent funding for a period of at least three years so that it can continue and expand its valuable work providing advocacy, information, training and support to families of children with special needs and the providers who work with them.

Please sign to support Siblings Australia.

This petition has now closed but you can still support our cause by writing to relevant Ministers as detailed below under Support Siblings Australia.

Siblings Australia in Crisis

Posted: January 22, 2008 11:24 AM

Twelve months ago, as a result of extensive lobbying Siblings Australia obtained a grant from the Federal Dept of Health & Ageing (DOHA). This enabled the organisation to maintain and indeed expand, its operations in 2007.

In Oct 2007 we lodged a new proposal to DOHA for funding in 2008, setting out a program of activities that would build on our efforts from 2007 (see the document below for an abridged version).

Unfortunately, on 11th Jan, DOHA advised us that no further funding will be provided to Siblings Australia, essentially because the previous grant was ‘time limited’ (that is for one year only) and that the Dept has ‘other priorities’. This decision was re-affirmed in a phone conference with several DOHA officials on 17th Jan.

The inevitable consequence of this decision is that Siblings Australia cannot continue its current operations. The lease on our office is up for renewal and we cannot commit to another two years. We will also need to release our current staff.

More details...  

Support Siblings Australia

Posted: January 22, 2008 11:18 AM

We are seeking your support one more time by sending letters to the relevant Federal Ministers and media in which you:

1. Express your dismay at the impending closure of Siblings Australia, as we know it, due to a lack of funding; and
2. Call for a significant core grant to be provided to Siblings Australia for a period of three years to enable it to renew its valuable services to siblings, their families and providers within Australia.

Please read the word document below for a copy of the letter and suggested email addresses.

More details...  

New Website

Posted: December 12, 2007 11:05 AM

The big news is our website! We are very proud of this new revamped website and especially grateful to the contributors who made it possible. The Julia Farr Group provided the funding for Pat Gerace from Datacentric to build the site. Paul Campese has given us some great ideas regarding design (both for website and other materials) and Siblings Australia has done the rest!

Funding for Children with Autism

Posted: November 15, 2007 4:16 PM

In October, the Government announced that it would be putting $190 million towards assisting children with autism, their parents and carers.

This announcements comes at a time when families are in desperate need of supporting their children with such a demanding special need.

There is, however, no mention of support for siblings! For the family unit to successfully adapt to life with a child who is on the spectrum, siblings along with parents must be supported.

Siblings Australia will continue to lobby to include siblings in this package.

Morialta Trust Funding

Posted: October 29, 2007 10:49 AM

Siblings Australia is very excited to announce that we have received some funding from the Morialta Chariatable Trust to run some more SibworkS groups in 2008! This is fantastic news! If you would like to register for one of these groups (which will be held in difference locations around Adelaide) please register your interest at info@siblingsaustralia.org.au