Two staff from the NPY Women’s Council in Alice Springs are the first Northern Territory Indigenous child care workers to be awarded a travel subsidy to attend their national conference in Canberra next month.

The subsidies have been provided as part of a partnership by Territory Families and the Department of the Chief Minister to sponsor the conference, which is being held by SNAICC, the Secretariat for National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care.  SNAICC is Australia’s peak body representing the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

The award of the subsidies was announced at a small ceremony in Alice Springs on Friday to mark National Aboriginal and Island Children’s Day.

Non-government organisations working with Aboriginal children were invited to apply for the travel subsidy for up to two staff to attend the conference. Offers have been made to further organisations, but have not yet been confirmed.

Territory Families Executive Director of Families and Regional Services (Southern Region) Dorrelle Anderson, who will speak at the conference, said partnerships with the Northern Territory’s non-government organisations were vital to the work the agency did to help the families of the Northern Territory.

“NGOs bring unique relationships with the communities they serve and an incredible wealth of experience,” she said.

“This conference will let us all share those skills and experience so we can all do our work more effectively.”

CAPTION:

Signing the subsidy agreement were, from left: NPY Women’s Council Director Rene Kulitja, Arthur Townsend – DCM Regional Executive Director, Southern Region, Dorrelle Anderson - Territory Families Executive Director Southern Region, NPY Women’s Council Director Rosalind Yiparti and NPY Program Manager Angela Lynch.

Media contact: Christine Bond 8999 2940, 0475 953 571