Act for Kids gets abused kids’ lives back on track
A BLACKTOWN-based charity is helping reclaim the childhoods of dozens of abused or neglected children in western Sydney, which has a high rate of child protection issues.
Blacktown
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MORE than 49,000 Australian children were abused last year and a Blacktown-based charity is helping some of them reclaim their childhood.
Act For Kids opened its intensive clinical therapy centre in Blacktown three years ago. It has treated 87 children this year but there are still more than 30 children on the service’s waiting list.
Team leader Robyn Eliudi said no child’s story was the same but the types of trauma they suffered included neglect and emotional, physical and sexual abuse. She said most clients were between six and nine years old.
When one six-year-old came to the service he had cigarette burns and bite marks on his body. He had been sexually abused by several adults and neglected. He is now living a safe and normal life in foster care.
“If we get in early there is a better chance of them living a functioning life,” Ms Eliudi said.
“In terms of the stats around child protection, western Sydney came up as a high-needs area.
“The types of families that use our service are quite broad … family violence is a factor.”
She said the service offered speech pathology, psychology, community engagement and occupational therapy.
Community engagement officer Adele McLennan-Gillings said the service operated on referrals and offered free treatment when possible. “We have a philosophy that kids who need treatment shouldn’t need to pay for therapy,” she said.
“In an ideal world our service wouldn’t have to exist.”
It is partnering with Blacktown Council to run a child-friendly conference in 10 schools across in November.
The program will focus on making safe choices and informing kids and carers where to turn in times of need.
“It’s such a great opportunity for Act for Kids to … take those principles outside of the centre and doing things on a wider scale,” Ms McLennan-Gillings said.
Details: www.actforkids.com.au