Community Partners
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Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) is a national non-profit organisation comprising 1300 members (organisations and individuals), working to create better futures for Australia's children and young people, by advancing collaboration and evidence based action.
www.aracy.org.au |
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The Benevolent Society is Australia's first charity. We are an independent, non-religious, non-profit organisation with nearly 200 years experience of driving positive social change. Our purpose is to create caring and inclusive communities and a just society.
www.bensoc.org.au |
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CREATE Foundation is the peak body representing the voices of all children and young people in out-of-home care. As a national organisation CREATE is better able to increase its reach to children and young people in care through its programs and events. As an advocate for children and young people in care CREATE ensures that their voices are heard by key decision makers in government and the out-of-home care sector stakeholders.
www.create.org.au |
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Families Australia is an independent, peak, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to promoting the needs and interests of families. Our vision is that all Australian families enjoy the greatest possible state of wellbeing.
www.familiesaustralia.org.au |
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Good Beginnings is a national charity that works in partnership with communities to provide early childhood intervention services and engages in advocacy that will build capacity of parents and carers. Our range of socially inclusive early childhood development services helps children and their families to flourish which in turn contributes to effective communities.
www.goodbeginnings.org.au |
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Lighthouse Foundation: Our vision is that every child will live in a family environment, within a community that fosters trust and love, and supports young people to grow and develop holistically.
Our Mission is to reduce youth homelessness. www.lighthousefoundation.org.au |
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Lou's Place is a daytime drop-in centre in the heart of Kings Cross. We provide a safe place for women, most of whom are survivors of physical or sexual abuse. Lou’s offers respite and support, fostering security, stability and self-respect.
www.lousplace.com.au |
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The Mirabel Foundation: Mirabel assists children who have been orphaned or abandoned due to parental illicit drug use and are now in the care of extended family (kinship care). Mirabel believes that every child deserves a childhood and its mission is to break the destructive cycle of addiction.
www.mirabelfoundation.org.au |
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NAPCAN: National
Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect is a national, independent charity that is 100% focused on preventing child abuse before it starts. NAPCAN does this by influencing public policy, building community awareness and driving behaviour change. www.napcan.org.au |
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Oasis Youth Support Network: Oasis gives homeless and disadvantaged young people hope, help and opportunities to access relevant education, training, jobs, counseling, and drug/alcohol programs. On any given night, Oasis helps to accommodate and feed more than 100 homeless young people. www.salvos.org.au/oasis |
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The Salvation Army: The Salvation Army, through it's national network of youth services, provides a wide range of services for homeless and disadvantaged young people. |
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The Smith Family is a national, independent children's charity that helps disadvantaged Australian children by unlocking opportunities through education and learning.
www.thesmithfamily.com.au |
Funding Partners
Other Funding provided by:
- David & Claire Paradice
- Calvert-Jones Foundation
- David Clarke AO & Jane Clarke
- Eureka Benevolent Foundation
- Goldman Sachs JBWere Foundation
- Matana Foundation
- Macquarie Group Foundation
- Nelson Meers Foundation
- Bob Rose AM & Margaret Rose AM
- The Turnbull Foundation
- The Wolanski Foundation
- Hal Epstein & Geri Ettinger
- Sydney Community Foundation
The Initiative
POLLY AND ME is part of the on-going outreach and education program based around the award winning documentary THE OASIS funded and managed by the Caledonia Foundation.
Following on from the release of THE OASIS in 2008, the directors Ian Darling and Sascha Ettinger Epstein have written and directed two short fiction films, based on some of the untold stories that came out of their three year documentary experience. POLLY AND ME (Dir. Ian Darling) and WALL BOY (Dir. Sascha Ettinger Epstein) have been made as companion pieces, and deal with a wide range of social issues that have affected the lives of many young homeless kids.
These short films should ideally be seen in conjunction with THE OASIS documentary, in order to provide a broader context for the two stories. The two fiction films deal collectively with issues around addiction, physical and mental abuse, and neglect. They provoke much discussion about dealing with complex social problems, and raise issues about the adequacy of service levels surrounding prevention and response programs in the community.
We have partnered with a number of charitable organisations for the outreach and education component of this initiative, who deal specifically with the issues raised in the films on a daily basis. These organisations will be using the films as part of a program to raise awareness about the issues they are all involved with on a daily basis, and to also assist with the sustainability of their own organisations.
Need Help
For 24 hour immediate assistance please call or contact:
KIDS HELP 1800 55 1800
www.kidshelp.com.au
LIFELINE 13 11 14
www.lifeline.org.au
SALVO CARE LINE 24hrs Telephone Counselling 1300 36 36 22
For less urgent help please contact our community partners
Take Action
HOST A COMMUNITY SCREENING:
Download the workshop manual and presentation kit.
Workshop Manual Presentation Kit
Click here to request a DVD.
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Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth: Child abuse and neglect happens all the time and is a result of many associated factors not just one. ARACY believes in promoting shared responsibility for vulnerable children and families.download the pdf download supporting statistics pdf |
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The Benevolent Society: These downloads outline some of The Benevolent Society's programmes, position papers and community outcomes around children, children's development and the importance of children having warm, nurturing relationships.download the Act Now Prevention paper download The Benevolent Society position paper pdf download BS Community program pdf download the community evaluation pdf |
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CREATE Foundation: CREATE is often witness to a cycle. In a lot of instances young people in care can become young parents themselves and due to a lack of support and guidance their own children can often also be placed in care. CREATE Foundation aims to stop this cycle and change these outcomes by creating a better life for children and young people in care.download the CREATE programs pdf |
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Good Beginnings:The greatest gift you can give a child is a good beginning. Good Beginnings recognises the value of strengthening communities and the positive impact strong communities have on children’s wellbeing. download the Good Beginnings message pdf |
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Lighthouse Foundation:The story of Polly mirrors the stories of many Lighthouse young people. Lighthouse has established a Mother and Babies Program that supports young homeless mothers and their babies and breaks the cycle of child maltreatment and future homelessness that the film depicts.download the Lighthouse Act Now pdf. |
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Lou's Place:At Lou's Place we see the effects of abuse and neglect everyday. If there was one thing we could wish for to improve the well-being of Australia's children it would simply be for community to work well.download Lou's Place Act Now pdf |
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The Mirabel Foundation: Mirabel believes that every child deserves a childhood and its mission is to break the destructive cycle of addiction. Mirabel assists children in the care of extended family (kinship care).download the Mirabel assist pdf |
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NAPCAN: NAPCAN is a leading advocate for the prevention of child abuse and neglect. If you think a child has been abused or neglected, you must ring your local child protection authority or the police. But in order to help prevent getting to a tragic situation in the first place there are lots of things you can do to help protect children.download the What Can I Do pdf |
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Oasis Youth Support Network: |
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The Salvation Army: The Salvation Army have been visiting dark places in our society for many years, providing a light to those who need their help.download the Salvation Army Outreach pdf |
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The Smith Family: is a national, independent children's charity that helps disadvantaged Australian children by unlocking opportunities through education and learning. download The Smith Family take action pdf |