Welfare

Mary Ward wanted her women to be ready to meet whatever needs appeared as critical in a particular time and country.

Conscious of this, a number of IBVM sisters have moved into aspects of social welfare. Through family counselling and organisational support, they work in rural and urban areas, collaborating with Catholic and other bodies in the provision of professional assistance to people in need. A number also do this in informal ways, through participation in AIDS councils, and similar support networks.

An example of this work is the Strong Young Mums Program at Centacare Wilcannia Forbes. In 2007 the program was awarded the Catholic Social Services Australia Norma Parker Award for Most Innovative Program.

Loreto Sister and Centacare Director, Sr Margaret Flynn, along with her team, established the program at the end of 2005 in response to the large number of teenage mothers in the Bourke community who had dropped out of school once they learnt they were pregnant. 

As Director, Margaret was involved in identifying the need for the program in response to the social issues in Bourke. Along with her enthusiastic and committed team, she developed a model for the program and commenced the long process of seeking funding to commence the program. The Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs were convinced it was a model worth supporting and provided funding until June 2008.

Through the Strong Young Mums program, young mothers:

·   are appreciating education and learning

·   have become stronger and clearer about the quality of life they want for themselves and their children

·   have improved parenting skills and knowledge of children’s developmental needs

·   are better informed of services and more confident in approaching them

·   are taking action to end violence in their relationships

·   are developing a sense of future and its opportunities.

Margaret says, "We believe the Strong Young Mums Program has the potential to create systemic change and to break the generational cycle of poor health, poor educational achievement and family violence in Indigenous communities and our hope is to extend this program to a number of other communities within western NSW".

For further information please contact Margaret Flynn, Director, P: 02 6851 6936, mflynn@centacarewf.org.au