The NSW Government has today announced $10.9 million in funding towards the Healthy Deadly Kids program to enhance school attendance levels in Aboriginal communities across the State.
The funding will deliver a sustained, community-driven, holistic program of targeted strategies to address attendance at school for Aboriginal children.
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Ben Franklin said this funding would empower and drive tangible change for Aboriginal communities across NSW when it comes to school attendance rates.
"The NSW Government is committed to investing in outcomes, designed and delivered by Aboriginal people for all Aboriginal people and communities to prosper across our State," Mr Franklin said.
"This funding will support an Aboriginal-led initiative aiming to enhance school attendance in Aboriginal communities whilst empowering and educating the younger generation to make positive changes around healthy eating and lifestyle choices.
"This investment, which builds on the historic $716 million announced in the 2022/23 State Budget, will further shift the dial on Closing the Gap and deliver positive outcomes for Aboriginal people across NSW."
Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said the investment builds on the great work already being done by the NSW Department of Education.
"We know that every day at school matters. That's why we've made attendance a key priority for schools and have a dedicated team of Aboriginal home liaison officers who support and encourage students to be engaged with their learning."
Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council CEO Robert Skeen said this additional funding would allow the program to make a significant impact in Aboriginal communities across the State.
"The AH&MRC is excited to work with our members to deliver comprehensive school-based health programs throughout NSW. We would like to thank the NSW Government for its ongoing support in addressing the disparities in Aboriginal health," Mr Skeen said.
"The program has already had a positive impact, with students who have lived through, and are still living in, an intergenerational trauma cycle who have aspirations for their future."
Healthy Deadly Kids will support partnerships between Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and local schools to deliver school-based health education aligned with the curriculum.
