Family by Family mentoring program helps disadvantaged households
AT 16, Nicole was pregnant and staring at welfare dependency for her children. But she turned her life into a model for other struggling families. Here’s how.
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AT 16, Nicole was pregnant and staring down the barrel of a future of sideways looks from older mums and welfare dependency for her children.
Now the 41-year-old grandmother has turned her life into a model for other struggling families, through a mentoring program started in Adelaide.
An initiative of the Australian Centre for Social Innovation, the Family by Family program has helped more than 400 families in the northern, western and southern suburbs of Adelaide, and in Sydney’s western suburbs.
It received a funding boost in this year’s state Budget to further expand its reach.
The scheme works by pairing disadvantaged families who want to change something about their lives with mentor families who have come through tough times.
Nicole has since mentored at least 10 families. “We were very isolated and when you’re a young mother and all those other stereotypes, people don’t want to take you seriously,” the mother of four and grandmother of one, who lives in the southern suburbs, said.
“This program did amazing and wonderful things for our family. “I can’t tell you how over the moon I am now that my children are going to university when it felt like everyone expected my kids to be on Centrelink.
“I feel like I have broken the intergenerational cycle.”
Families can seek help for a range of issues including finances and budgeting, drug addiction, socialising and making wider connections
An evaluation of the scheme in 2012 found it was working to boost confidence and self-esteem, foster family and social interaction and improve behaviour and health.
It is also saving taxpayer funds by preventing some at-risk children from going into state care.
For more information visit www.familybyfamily.org.au