Victoria’s state government is investing to support newly-arrived refugees, asylum seekers and family violence victims from culturally diverse backgrounds, following recommendations put forward by the Royal Commission into Family Violence.
The inquiry concluded that women and children from culturally diverse backgrounds who are experiencing, or may be vulnerable to, family violence have limited access to support services and are also less likely to seek assistance.
In response, as part of the Victorian Budget 2016/17 the Andrews government announced that it will be committing an additional $24.3 million over four years for the implementation of a range of initiatives to strengthen the state’s support services.
This includes $6.3 million of funding to meet the needs of victims in family violence services and targeted prevention strategies for victims, while an additional $18 million will see that incoming refugees receive the support they need from the get-go, with access to key services to support themselves and their families.
To further help their transition Down Under, Labor has announced that programs will be developed to strengthen access to education, employment and encourage the use of sports, arts, culture and community to foster a sense of belonging.
“This funding will help improve our cohesion, celebrate our diversity and make sure the most vulnerable within our community are supported,” said Minister for Multicultural Affairs Robin Scott.
Language services will also be bolstered to offer an extra layer of support for families from non-English speaking backgrounds.