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The upcoming 2023-24 Federal Budget, to be handed down next month, represents a valuable opportunity for the Federal Government to make targeted and tailored investments to ensure that all Australians have the opportunity to reach their potential and that nobody is left behind, says Jesuit Social Services. “Last year’s Federal Election result demonstrated that millions…
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Failure to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 a missed opportunity
Media reports today suggest that the Victorian Government will raise the age of criminal responsibility to 12, instead of 14 which has long been advocated for by the community services and legal sectors as well as child welfare experts. If this is the case, it is a missed opportunity for the state to take a…
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Plan to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 12 does not go far enough
The Victorian Government’s announcement that it will raise the age of criminal responsibility to 12 years now and to 14 within four years is at odds with the evidence about children’s brain development and the best way to create strong and cohesive communities, says Jesuit Social Services. “Australia has long been out of touch with…
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Early intervention critical in addressing drivers of youth crime
New data published by the Crime Statistics Agency, showing that the number of crimes committed in Victoria by children aged 10 to 17 has increased by more than 30 per cent over the past year, is an important reminder that more intensive intervention services are needed to address the drivers of crime says Jesuit Social…
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Young people are worth a second chance.
The age of criminal responsibility has been much debated recently. Victoria has committed to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 this year, and to 14 in 2027. The Northern Territory has raised it to 12, and the ACT is in the process of doing so. Other states are planning, considering, or…
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Eunhee, a participant in Jesuit Social Services Just Voices speakers program. Eunhee is a participant in our Just Voices speakers program. Here she reflects on her former life in North Korea and how things have changed for her since becoming a refugee in 2012. Freedom is a common word that is often used in our…
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New report gives a voice to those left behind after suicide
A recent report published by Jesuit Social Services’ Support After Suicide program shows, through the experience of people bereaved by the suicide of a loved one, that Victoria’s mental health system was under significant stress even before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report was compiled from an online survey completed by family members…
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CAPSA urges Federal Government to do more to protect Afghan refugees
The Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum (CAPSA), representing leaders across the Catholic Church, health, education, refugee and social services, has called on the Morrison Federal Government to guarantee permanent visas for Afghans already in the country under temporary protection or currently being processed, and increase its intake of humanitarian refugees from Afghanistan. The call…
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Staff Profile – Nasser Yawari, Jobs Victoria Advocates Program
As hundreds of Afghan families fled captured Kabul in August and September, the diaspora community was waiting with open arms. One Melbourne-based community member, Nasser Yawari, works for our Jobs Victoria Advocates Program. Here, he tells how he coordinated within different Jesuit Social Services programs to link families with food and services – demonstrating what…
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Anniversary of the National Apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples
Government policies and processes continue to separate First Nations children from their families at alarming and disproportionate rates – on the fifteenth anniversary of the Stolen Generations apology, ANDY HAMILTON SJ reflects on a better way to support children and families at risk. It is now fifteen years since the unanimous parliamentary apology to Australia’s…