By Nicola Taylor, Director | Posted: Tuesday March 15, 2016
This article focuses on the very volatile and changing landscape of the social services sector for 2016.
Government have announced that their Community Investment strategy will be implemented over the next three years, and that funding to our sector needs to change. It is difficult to understand exactly what this means for Anglican Family Care Centre’s future. We do know that our funding to deliver counselling services in Central Otago will end on 30 June, and that our budget services are being ‘re-designed’, with existing funding ending on 31 October.
It is tempting to re-phrase all the government language – ‘modernise’, ‘reprioritise’, ‘review’ – into ‘reduce’ funding. Whatever the result, the future is uncertain. We are concerned that Otago is likely to lose funding to other parts of the country with concentrated areas of need.
We continue to respond to requests for support and intervention into the lives of some of the most vulnerable children in our society. This is not changing. We were delighted to learn that the evaluation of the Family Start programme has endorsed the long term effectiveness of our work with newborn babies and their families. We know that we are making a difference, as clients such as Jess and Alesha become more confident in telling their stories of courage and hope in making change as a result of our support.
The biggest barrier we face is one of ‘poverty’ of the spirit, the hopelessness and despair faced by those who encounter family violence, abuse, addictions and financial challenges. It is very rewarding to see the growing hope and resilience emerging from our support, as families strengthen their ability to provide safe and nurturing care for their children.
Whilst the landscape is forever changing, some things do stay the same. Our commitment to continue to support the most vulnerable children is unwavering. To do so, we must rely on the generosity of our community to maintain the high standards of programmes and services we provide. Elsewhere in this issue you will read of the incredible differences we can make in the lives of those we support.