The Member for Page, Janelle Saffin, has announced a further $50,000 in Federal Government funding to support local organisation, Heartfelt House, in running programs for adult survivors of child sexual abuse.

“I have seen first hand the great work being done by Vicki Hamilton at Heartfelt House and it is clear that her programs are meeting a great need in the community to support adult survivors of abuse to gain strength to get on with their lives.”

“Over the past two years I have taken up the cause of Heartfelt House with Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin and argued for support of adult survivors of child abuse to be included in the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children.

“As a result, when the first National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children was announced last year it included a strategy to ensure survivors of sexual abuse have access to effective treatment and appropriate support,” Ms Saffin said.

Heartfelt House Executive Officer Vicki Hamilton says she is delighted by the funding announcement.

“We were at the stage where we thought we would have to put programs on hold, but this means we can continue our work and help survivors who are on our waiting lists,” she said.

Ms Saffin said there is growing recognition by governments of the need to support adults who suffered sexual abuse as children and have carried those deep wounds into their adult lives.

“In the Apology to the Forgotten Australians last year, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd acknowledged the ongoing pain of the many adults who suffered years of sexual abuse as children in institutions last century.

“In February I attended the launch of the Lismore and District Women’s Health Centre’s new counselling service for adult survivors of child sexual abuse. The state funded NSW Rape Crisis Centre is providing the counsellor’s position.

“The $50,000 funding from FAHCSIA I’m announcing today is immediate funding for Heartfelt House and follows grants last year totalling $73,200 to support programs for adult survivors of sexual abuse, non-offending parents, and spouses and the evaluation of these programs.

“In future I would like to see Heartfelt House get a more secure funding base, of say three years, which is something I would like to see for a lot of our local services. I am working closely with Northern Rivers Social Development Council’s CEO, Tony Davies, who is leading the charge on funding reform of this nature for essential community services,” Ms Saffin said.