This program seeks to holistically support local African Australian Families. Four years ago this agency had a desire to ensure our Family programs and services were relevant and responsive to the complex needs of a much marginalised and vulnerable group within our local community – our African Australian Families who have settled in Australia. So often funding requires us to fit people in to programs, but we need programs like this one that allow us to wrap programs around people – based on their needs and aspirations for their families. Four years ago this project was funded for two years – and this initial funding has been extended each year until this year, when we received the amazing news of a three year commitment by FaHCSIA through the Community Investment Program.

Most of us who have been around know that the words ‘partnership’ and ‘collaboration’ are bandied around so much in the world of welfare and government without a real definition of what it means to partner. In our case we felt that we can go some way to defining these terms and what they mean to us.

Firstly – it is a partnership between our programs, services and staff. With African workers and the African community and the broader community learning from each other and co-developing programs which share cultural understandings and experiences , and thus developing ways and models of working that have a real chance of supporting African families towards health and wellbeing.  Our family support worker,  Sahra and I have been on this journey together for past four years – through this time I am sure she will agree we have learned so much from each other and I cannot thank her enough for sharing her religious and cultural knowledge, her settlement experience in both New Zealand and Australia, and her journey as a worker, mother and grandmother. This funding I know represents far more than just a program for her community, to her it personally represents financial security for her family which is a rarely acknowledged benefit of recurrent longer term funding .

Secondly – with regard to our program partners – this program has been able to achieve what so many organisations and governments find very difficult to achieve,  it joins all the dots,  it brings health and wellbeing programs, employment programs, education programs and literacy programs together. All the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that need to be addressed in order to support African families reach their goals of physical, mental and emotional, social, economic and cultural health. It reflects the mobilisation of energy and goodwill in a local community – it requires us to  understand each other’s frameworks, share ideas, knowledge and skills and more importantly bring our financial and human resources to partner with the community and plan our programs and work together in meaningful ways.

The last part of the partnership– and it is often not recognised or acknowledged,  is the partnership drummond street has enjoyed at the local level with our funding contact staff for this program at the state office of FaHSCIA- they have been part of and at times great supporters of  the learnings of this program, they have been flexible to program changes that so often are required in community development work, they have engaged with us on so many levels in order to understand the challenges of this work and been incredibly encouraging – I want to collectively thank them for their efforts and support throughout the last four years and look forward to our future learning together.  For a non-profit to have such a relationship with government is a testament to the people involved, and to a shared vision and desire to support this community.

Karen Field

CEO

drummond street services

Sign up for an online research study which will help shape an advertising campaign to reduce discrimination associated with depression and anxiety in the GLBTI community.

You must be over 18 to participate and will need to log on twice a week to the online community to share your thoughts, opinions, experiences and stories.

A limited number of places are available in the study. To ensure representation from a wide range of people, we ask that interested people complete a short recruitment questionnaire. A group of approximately 100 people will be invited to participate in the online community.
If you would like to participate go to the beyond blue website HERE and click on the ‘In my shoes’ banner
The study is supported by beyondblue and several major GLBTI organisations that are members of the beyondblue GLBTI Reference Group

FIFA 12 Tournament

Tuesday 10th January 2012 – 11am to 3pm

$5 per person

Championship play-off followed by a BBQ lunch

Horse Riding

Thursday 12th January – 10am to 5pm

$20 per person

Meet at the drum Youth Services and spend the day horse riding in Mornington with a BBQ lunch provided. LIMITED PLACES so please book call Jerome on 9663 6733

Beach Day

Monday 16th January – 9:30am to 3:30pm

$10 per person

Meet at the drum Youth Services for a day of fun in the sun at the beach in Geelong. Lunch provided. Bring bather/wetsuit, sunscreen, a bottle of water, shorts, t-shirt of a long sleeved shirt. LIMITED PLEASE so please call Jerome on 9663 6733 to book

Girls day

Tuesday 17th January 11am-4pm

$5 per person

Running at the drum Youth Services come along for cooking, tie-dying and a soccer game

Back to School BBQ

Friday 20th January – 11am to 2pm

$2 per person

Come on down to the underground at the drum Youth Services for a family BBQ. Bring a hat and sunscreen.

For more details on all of the activities run by the drum check out our website at www.thedrum.org.au, call Jerome on 9663 6733 or email youthservices@ds.org.au

A case study and the recommendations to FaHCSIA will follow.

This piece was prepared by Rebecca Harris, the complete paper was written by Kristie Dunn, with input from drummond street staff Jess Black, Reima Pryor, Zoe Stafford and CEO Karen Field, along with additional information sourced from the Child Support Agency, and independent family law practitioners.

In 2008 there was a big package of reforms covering 84 Commonwealth acts relating to the laws affecting same-sex couples, and their children. In most cases this meant that same-sex de facto couples had the same rights and entitlements as their opposite-sex counterparts.  There are some notable exceptions to this principle, namely the prohibition on same-sex marriage and adoption.

This reform package included changes to the acts relevant to child support. Before these same-sex reforms, non-biological parents in same-sex relationships were not recognised as parents by the Child Support Agency (CSA), the folk who administer child support payments. So while previously excluded, same-sex separated couples are now able to access the CSA, and access child support payments, or be liable to make payments.

The research undertaken by us here at drummond street included conversations with the CSA, and with family law practitioners, and anecdotal evidence from the queer community. All evidence suggests that very few queer families actually access the child support system. Primary research with parents would be the next logical step to really find out why, but a number of reasons did come to light, based on information gathered:

• The reforms are relatively recent (they did not come in to effect until July 2009) and queer parents used to existing outside the law may not even be aware that they are entitled to access
• There is a lot of confusion about when a parent is a parent under the law. For example sometimes a parent is legally recognised federally, but not by their State’s law. A parent might be recognised with a parenting order obtained in the Family Court, but this may not be reflected in the Family Law Act
• Under the law children cannot have more than two parents, but this does not reflect the reality for many queer families.
• There is a culture of private arrangements within queer families with respect to financial arrangement about children.
• As our research clearly indicated (see Case Study in our companion piece) the staff at the CSA have a serious lack of understanding about same-sex applications and may be giving contradictory or incorrect advice to people making contact

Feedback from the CSA Customer Review and Quality Improvement area tells us that they have no means of identifying same-sex ex-couples on their database. There was a comment that there was some concern within the CSA that asking queer clients about the nature of their relationship could be seen as offensive.

Surely asking about whether a relationship is opposite-sex or same-sex is only offensive if same-sex relationships are considered offensive. This should not be used as an excuse or impediment to tracking same-sex couple applications, and ensuring they are receiving accurate and informed advice and assistance. The current incapacity of the CSA to collect any data on same-sex couples is a concern. A simple solution to any confusion or assumptions, for example in the case of gender-neutral names like Sam or Jo/e, could be an initial screening question for every applicant along the lines of ‘is your ex-partner male or female?’ This would identify same-sex couple applications quickly and easily. Here at drummond street, a mainstream family service agency, a standard intake question regarding sexuality of a client is well received and also serves to normalise and reduce stigma for this group in the broader community. Applicants within same-sex relationships are unlikely to find such a question offensive, and in fact are likely to appreciate that their relationship is being openly recognised by a public agency. Such a question will go a long way towards normalising same-sex relationships in the eyes of heterosexual applicants. This is one of the aims of the same-sex reforms.

While the same-sex reforms have gone some way towards recognising same-sex families and clarifying financial responsibility and child support liability, the question of who is a parent and what that means remains a confusing area.  The fact that those who work at the CSA are not able to give accurate and consistent advice has to be seen as a serious impediment to access.

Check out part two of Queer families and the child support system to read the case study presented to the CSA, and our recommendations to FaHCSIA based on our research. Or read the Complete Policy Paper here.

This is a case study, along with the recommendations presented to FaHCSIA, and is a companion piece to an overview of the whole paper.

The paper was written by Kristie Dunn, with input from drummond street staff Jess Black, Reima Pryor, Zoe Stafford and CEO Karen Field, along with additional information sourced from the Child Support Agency, and independent family law practitioners.

Case study scenario presented to CSA case manager – 25 November 2010

Kate and Helen

Partners for 12 years. Separated 12 Nov 2010.

Two kids – same known donor, self-insemination at home, birth mother for both is Kate, Helen on birth certificate for one year old but not for five year old (no second parent recorded).

Kids are staying full time with Kate, two nights per week with Helen.

Kate enquiring about whether Helen has liability under the Act.

Called up on 25 November 2010 and presented basic information. The case manager was polite and helpful and responded that she had never dealt with a same-sex application so would seek advice from the technical support team. She then conveyed the advice that because the conception of the children had taken place at home, they were not covered by the Act. When quizzed about this, she replied that she didn’t think that was correct either but that that was the advice she’d been given and that she would look into it and call back. She did so a few days later and said she didn’t have any further advice but asked for a copy of the parenting plan to show details of how the conception took place. In a further follow up conversation on 8 December 2010 the case manager confirmed that the technical support team would not provide any advice on eligibility without a parenting plan being produced.

The advice given to the case manager in this situation is clearly wrong and in conflict with other information provided on the CSA website (for example the CSA Guide clearly states that home insemination is covered by section 5). The requirement that a parenting plan be submitted is quite invasive and does not appear to be warranted as it does not prove any of the essential factors: namely, were the parties in a de facto relationship at the time of conception and did the co-parent consent. This experience was concerning as it suggested that staff, while doing their best, are not being provided with accurate information from the technical support team within the CSA and that this could lead to applicants potentially being discouraged from pursuing a child support application.

Recommendations:

That FaHCSIA implement the following measures within the CSA to remove impediments to access the CSA by same-sex families:

1. Introduce methods of tracking same-sex family applications within CSA databases to monitor any impediments to access

1. Clarify the evidentiary requirements for same-sex couples in relation to the definition of parent and provide that information on the website and in information materials

1. Improve agency understanding and communication of issues around separated same-sex couples’ access to the CSA by:
   1. Implementing specific training for CSA case managers by specialist LGBTI support agencies on the legal and evidentiary requirements and the cultural impact of the same-sex reforms
   2. Employing designated same-sex relationship advice team within technical support team, as below, to be accessed by CSA case managers on a needs basis

1. Improve community understanding of issues around separated same-sex couples’ access to the CSA by:
   1. Employing designated same-sex relationship advice team within technical support team of CSA until no longer required
   2. Producing targeted communication materials for the queer community in relation to child support

• Information brochures, web materials, talks, events advertised in queer and mainstream media and through community organisations, maternal child health centres, government agencies, family relationship centres, schools, doctors’ surgeries etc

1. 1. Employing queer community liaison officers within the CSA to inform and educate key community stakeholders about the changes to the Act and its extension to same-sex families

Check out part one of Queer families and the child support system for a general overview, or read the Complete Policy Paper here.

the drum youth service is running a workshop that will prepare you (or your child) with the fundamentals in Maths and English that will be required at the VCE level. This 2 day workshop will be run on MONDAY 23^rd and TUESDAY 24^th of January by experienced VCE tutors who will conduct one-on-one and small group activities based on the needs and proficiency of all participants. The tutors will recap the major topics covered in Year 10 and work through questions that participants might have, before moving onto newer material to prepare students for the intensity of Year 11. Content may include:

Maths

• Graph interpretation and sketching                        
• Linear equations – how to graph an equation                                    
• Multiplication – independent from calculator                                     
• Algebra  – factorise algebraic equations
• Quadratic equations – solve with various strategies
• Describe, interpret and sketch parabolas
• Probability
• Measurement – surface area, range
• Pythagoras and Trigonometry

English

• Introduction to Macbeth (year 11 curriculum at University High School)
• Grammar
• Essay writing techniques
• Creative writing

Registration for this workshop is essential as only 15 spaces are available, please contact Mikaela on 9663 6733 or at mikaela.smee@ds.org.au by 4pm on Friday 20^th January, 2012. The workshop costs $10 and will include lunch on both days.

Click here to download the flyer!

Tuesdays 7^th, 14^th, 21^st and 28^th June - refreshments provided

“I do find it hard to live with my partner’s depression- but I love them- I don’t see myself as a “carer” – we are a couple.”

“Sometimes I wish I knew a bit more about how to help and how to lessen the impact on our relationship”

Come to our 4 week group for PARTNERS of those experiencing depression and expands on our March seminar of the same name.

Cost: FREE

Where: at drummond street services, 195 Drummond Street, Carlton

When: 6 – 7:30pm

How: Bookings are essential, call Zoe to book on 9639 2576

Thursdays 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd June 6- 7.30pm

You are invited to attend 4 sessions and discuss the  big issues for you. Some topics might include:

• Understanding where your kids are at developmentally, how they understand their family – what’s normal and what matters at what age?
• Raising happy, healthy kids – promoting mental health and a sense of security as kids grow
• Preparing for adolescence – or managing if you’re already there!

COST: $35 covers 4 weeks

Or FREE with a health care card

Bookings essential, call Zoe on 9639 2576 to book.