Announcement: 2019 Learning System Grants Awarded

Victoria’s child and family services sector is leading the way in the
development and use of evidence to improve outcomes for children, young people
and families.

A key contributor to the sector’s growing evidence base is the funding
the Department of Health and Human Services makes available through the
Learning System Grants (LSGs). These grants are administered by the Centre for
Excellence in Child and Family Welfare. They are aimed at strengthening the
capacity of child and family services in Victoria to generate evidence and
deliver evidence-informed services.

The Centre is very
pleased to announce the 2019 grant recipients!
They will share $250,000 in funding.

“The Centre is thrilled to be able to support these
sector-led projects, each at different stages of their evidence journey. The Learning
System Grants are an incredible initiative, supporting organisations to improve
outcomes for children, young people and families in Victoria. These grants will
support the sector to collaborate, grow, and share best practice,” says Centre
CEO Deb Tsorbaris.  

Six diverse projects have received LSG funding,
ranging from the development and application of outcomes and practice
frameworks to the documentation of promising early interventions. Projects will
be supported over the next 12 months by the Outcomes, Practice and Evidence
Network (OPEN).

These projects will be delivered by community
service organisations and an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation working
with children, young people and families from across the state. Many of these
projects are in partnership with universities.

The Centre congratulates the following recipients
for 2019:

• Barwon
  Child, Youth and Family: Design,
  Implementation and Evaluation of a centralised, evidence-based assessment
  framework for child and family practitioners        

• Colac
  Area Health: Embedding learning circles
  through ‘Dadirri’ (deep listening)

• Jesuit
  Social Services: WASAPP – the Worried About
  Sex And Porn Project        

• Lighthouse
  Foundation: Impact evaluation: Parents
  and Babies Program

• Njernda
  Aboriginal Corporation: Njernda Family
  Services – Strengthening our systems to improve our services

• Tweddle
  Child & Family Health Service: Pilot
  evaluation of a ten day residential Parenting Assessment and Skill Development
  Service for families receiving child protection services: A mixed methods study

If you have any questions
regarding the Learning System Grants please contact Dr Dakhina Mitra, Practice Lead:
Knowledge Building at dakhina.mitra@cfecfw.asn.au or 03 9094 3540.

For OPEN inquiries, please
contact Dr Mandy Charman, OPEN Project Manager at mandy.charman@cfecfw.asn.au or 03 9094 3520.