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50K seed funding for USC child safety-related programs
11 August, 2006
The Department of Child Safety has approved a 12 month funding agreement with the University of the Sunshine Coast to develop a specialist child protection stream in the undergraduate human services and counselling programs.
On Thursday 10 August, Professor Paul Thomas, Vice-Chancellor of USC, in conjunction with the Honourable Mike Reynolds AM MP, Minister for Child Safety, announced a curriculum seed funding agreement for $50,000.
These funds will be used to develop a comprehensive teaching program in relation to child protection and indigenous communities. In turn, these enhanced degrees will create greater graduate employment opportunities in what is regarded to be a rapidly expanding area.
USC human services lecturer Jan Foster will now be able to develop and incorporate a more specialised curriculum pertaining directly to child protection.
"Our aim is to help develop professional education programs which in turn helps serve the regional community," said Jan Foster.
"We will be teaching students how to identify issues of abuse and neglect as well as how to understand the complexities of working with families and children with multiple needs."
With the issue of child protection continuing to grow in profile and increased resources allocated to the sector, the need for a greater number of graduates has been highlighted and given priority.
Jan Foster will work closely with the indigenous community to ensure all facets of the programs are going to enhance the lifestyles of families across all communities.
"We are very excited about receiving this seed funding. By combining theoretical and practical learning it will lead to students being able to deliver front line protection services. We will be developing well informed and skilled human services workers which will benefit not only the Sunshine Coast, but the whole of Queensland," Ms Foster said.
The funding agreement was developed in response to the Crime and Misconduct Commission Inquiry into Abuse of Children in foster care Protecting Children, which recommended the new Department of Child Safety critically examine the possibility of forming partnerships with external agencies to develop more specialised programs.
The official signing of the University of the Sunshine Coast Curriculum Funding Agreement was held on August 10 at 3.00pm.
For more information contact:
Professor Pam Dyer
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Tel: +61 7 5459 1242
Email: pdyer@usc.edu.au