Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I wish to acknowledge the work of YouthCARE in delivering school based chaplaincy programs, providing the necessary pastoral care to keep students engaged in learning by increasing school attendance and reducing absenteeism. Over the past year, 30 chaplains based at 35 public schools in my electorate of Moore conducted approximately 4,000 counselling sessions with students, their parents, carers and the school staff. These counselling sessions related to family relationships, behavioural concerns, peer relationships and mental health. Young people face a range of pressures in our community with issues such as bullying, depression and drug use commonly encountered. YouthCARE chaplains assisted at-risk students with limited family support to overcome the obstacles to furthering their education by serving more than 1,000 meals at breakfast clubs, conducting social, emotional and physical programs and providing mentoring with some 2,045 students attending lunchtime groups.

Adequate resourcing is required to deliver these valuable services into the future. Security of tenure is also important to chaplains in terms of their employment contracts. I strongly advocate for continued government funding of YouthCARE. Immeasurable benefits to society are achieved when at-risk youth are constructively engaged in learning and complete their education.

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