 We are extremely proud to announce the establishment of our SHINE for Kids in Victoria!
With a prison population of over 4000 inmates and over 7000 offenders on community based dispositions, there is a role for SHINE for Kids in Victoria to provide our wide-ranging tangible support services to as many as possible of the over 10,000 young Victorians with a parent in the criminal justice system. These children and young people experience the same disadvantage and marginalisation as their peers in similar circumstances in NSW.
SHINE for Kids will launch our work in Victoria with two programs which have proven success in meeting directly the needs of our clients and their families.
Our Victoria office was established in suburban Footscray early this year. The office has four work stations, a counselling room and a training/meeting room for up to 20 people. This immediately facilitated the training of volunteers for the SKY Mentoring Program.
Contact or visit our Victorian office»
SKY Mentoring
The SKY (Support for Kids and Youth) Program links volunteer mentors in the community to young people aged 8–17 years who have been affected by parental imprisonment.
 Many of these young people face challenging life situations, lacking acceptance, care and companionship, and may also lack coping and socialising skills. The Mentor role connects with the young person and builds a relationship, becoming a consistent, stable person in their life. Mentors participate in social outings and other activities with the young person, providing them with opportunities to develop broader social skills and sharing relaxing enjoyable outings and experiences.
In Victoria the SHINE for Kids Mentoring Program is part of SKY, which SHINE for Kids is establishing in partnership with VACRO (the Victorian Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders). Through SKY, VACRO will provide counselling for school-aged children and young people with a family member in the criminal justice system alongside the SHINE for Kids Mentoring Program.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT...
Volunteering as a mentor with SHINE for Kids, Victoria contact victoria@shineforkids.org.au.
Referring a child or young person for either mentoring or counselling support with the SKY Program: call the SKY Program Intake Officer on 03 9605 1900
Download the SKY brochure as a PDF (3.2MB)
Prisons Invisits Program
Visiting prisons can be a traumatic, confusing and frequently upsetting time for children who must cope with conflicting emotions and a harsh, unchild-friendly environment. When children encounter a more enjoyable visit with their parent, they will develop a stronger child-parent bond.
Based on the SHINE for Kids Prison Invisits Program run in a number of NSW prisons, the Victorian Prison Invisits Program will provide a variety or arts, craft and diversionary activities for children when visiting their parent in prison.
Even as some children spend each weekend centered around visiting a parent in prison and the processes for entering prison, other children will only have the opportunity to visit with their parent on a very occasional basis depending on the distances to travel and lifestyles of their carers.
Not only are visitors forbidden from taking any item into the prison visiting area – meaning children have no comforting toys, books or activities to entertain themselves during visits of one, two or even three hours – children must also cope with engaging with a parent they may have spent time with only sporadically if at all, in a very controlled, noisy and busy environment.
Staffed by a qualified and experienced Childcare Worker employed by SHINE for Kids together with trained volunteers, the Prison Invisits Program offers enjoyable and relaxing activities to occupy children between times spent talking to their parent. Through the peer support gained during these activities, children also experience fewer feelings of isolation, bolster their emotional wellbeing and increase their resilience.
In fact the Prison Invisits program has an impact on the environment of the whole visits area. For the parents or carers attending the visit, there is also an opportunity to receive information regarding other services which may be suitable for their children, such as the SKY Program. As their children have things to do, parents and carers have more opportunities to relate with each other in an adult context rather than being focused on the continual supervision of their children during the visit.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT...
- Prison Invisits Program: contact SHINE for Kids Victoria on 03 9688 2900
- Volunteering to assist with the Prison Invisits Program: contact victoria@shineforkids.org.au
- The issues faced by, and needs of, children of prisoners: read more »
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