A HEART-WARMING initiative providing children in foster care with essential items like clothes and toiletries will expand across the New England North West.
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Started by 10-year-old Walcha student Simon Wellings last year, the project sees backpacks filled with items like toiletries and school supplies provided to children who have been rushed into out-of-home-care.
It's since been named 'Simon's Just 4 U Backpacks' program, and now the state government has provided $5000 to expand it across the region.
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Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall said the Rotary Club of Walcha will provide packs to the Department of Communities and Justice to carers for distribution to carers in the more than 15 inland communities in Rotary District 9650.
Rotary Club of Walcha president Andrew Corlette said the organisation had negotiated to take over and extend Simon's initiative and hopefully build it into an annual project.
"Based on advice from the Department of Communities and Justice, the New England region deals with up to 300 foster care placements annually," Mr Corlette said.
"The children these backpacks support are amongst our most vulnerable. Our project is endorsed by agencies like Challenge and Pathfinders, who through their involvement with Simon's 2020 efforts, have firsthand experience of the benefit these backpacks bring.
"Should we be able to raise a target of $25,000 we expect to be able to provide ample number backpacks to meet demand. If we achieve this we will then look to expand further into the coastal regions of our district," he said.
Through this innovation, Mr Marshall said Simon and his family had provided children in out-of-home-care with compassion during an incredibly difficult time in their lives.
"In some circumstances children are removed from their home environment urgently, giving them no time to pack even a toothbrush," Mr Marshall said.
"Through his own family's experiences with foster caring, Simon identified this need and set out himself to provide bags of essentials, which can be picked up and taken with children at a moment's notice.
"I'm pleased to have been able to support the Rotary Club of Walcha's efforts to grow the program and see a greater number of children in care receive this kindness.
"This small gesture has the potential to make the biggest difference to these vulnerable young people's lives and I congratulate Simon and Rotary on this partnership," he said.
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