The City of Armadale’s Drug Aware Ignite Basketball Program and Save the Children’s One Step Closer Program have both been nominated as finalists for the 2014 Constable Care Child Safety Awards.
The Constable Care Child Safety Awards is an independent state-wide awards program that celebrates the achievements of remarkable Western Australians dedicated to protecting children from harm and creating child-safe environments and communities.
Mayor Henry Zelones said both the One Step Closer and Drug Aware Ignite programs are targeted at young people at-risk in the community and provide support through engaging in active sport and life skills activities.
“Drug Aware Ignite operates on Saturday evenings and is a 40-week program for young people aged 11 to 18.
“This full time program works with partners to provide extensive, wrap around support beyond the Saturday night sessions. This support includes career guidance and assistance, alternative education, financial support, counselling, work experience, accredited qualifications and alternative education.
“The One Step Closer program provides a weekly safe environment for young people in Armadale aged 8 to 15 on Friday nights. The program is delivered by qualified youth workers and local Aboriginal leaders as well as a range of specialist services and uses traditional sport, educational and team building activities, and life skills sessions to engage and build the resilience of young people,” said Mayor Zelones.
Both programs are part of a new approach to youth service delivery in Armadale which aims to integrate program activities to ensure they are operating at times and in areas when young people need them the most in order to avoid crime and antisocial behaviour. The purpose of the new approach is to align funding, professional skilled staff, and clear evaluation mechanisms - all underpinned by an overall youth development model to maximise positive outcomes for young people.
Juan Larranaga, Save the Children’s State Program Manager said that “…One Step Closer and Drug Aware Ignite are critical for the community, as they are some of the only early intervention services that provide holistic and culturally appropriate support for some of Armadale’s most vulnerable children.”
There are nine Child Safety Award categories, with one winner selected in each of the categories. It is from these category winners that the recipient of the Child Safety Award of the Year is determined.
The City of Armadale and Save the Children have been working in partnership on numerous projects to support young people in the Armadale area since mid-2011.