Alcoa Foundation supports children survivors of family & domestic violence

Family and domestic violence (FDV) is the leading cause of youth homelessness in Australia and a new partnership between Anglicare WA and the Alcoa Foundation will help children and young people in the southern suburbs of Perth, WA, heal from their trauma.

As of 2022, a total of 16% of Australians had, as a child, witnessed FDV perpetrated on a parent, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Anglicare chief executive Mark Glasson says that while services to tackle domestic violence are increasing, there remains a gap in support for children who experience FDV.

“There is a very specific type of trauma that requires a specialised early-intervention response,” he said.

“That’s why Young Hearts is such a vital service for the often-overlooked victim-survivors of FDV.”

Young Hearts provides free critical counselling services for young people and their families in the State’s Peel, Perth Metropolitan and Great Southern regions to break the cycle of FDV – but Mr Glasson says the service receives no government funding.

“In the last financial year, the Young Hearts services in Kwinana, Rockingham and Mandurah supported 170 children and young people,” he said.

“In total, the service held 567 counselling sessions with clients and their carers across the 12 months.

“This is a critical service with demand increasing significantly over the past few years.

“Yet Young Hearts relies entirely on the continued support and generosity of philanthropic partners like Alcoa Foundation.”

Alcoa Foundation president Caroline Rossignol says the Foundation is proud to contribute more than $750,000 to Young Hearts over the next three years.

“Our funding aims to support more children and young people affected by family and domestic violence in some of the areas where Alcoa operates,” she said.

“We are immensely proud of our continued partnership with Anglicare WA and the positive impact it has on the local community, supporting some of the region’s most vulnerable people.”