Equity Trustees initiative supports indigenous youth

According to a statement from Equity Trustees, the foundation awarded close to $68,000 to programs that assist indigenous youth living in foster, residential or kinship care. 

One grant recipient is a Save the Children program in Western Australia which provides mentoring to Aboriginal young people taken into state custody.

Other charities receiving contributions were the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency and the Buttery, a New South Wales program providing indigenous youth in foster care with counselling, therapy and wilderness experiences.

Equity Trustees general manager, philanthropy Tabitha Lovett said the foundation aimed to assist vulnerable young indigenous Australians.

“We believe these programs will go some way to assisting indigenous children and young people who have experienced considerable disadvantage,” she said.

The grants were welcomed by Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care CEO Frank Hytten.

“It's critically important that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in care remain connected with their family, community and cultural identity, both while in care and for life outcomes beyond.

"At present, far too many indigenous children in care lose that connection, at great economic, human and social cost.

“Equity Trustees’ contribution will help redress this serious issue and I look forward to its ongoing support for this work,” Mr Hytten said. 

According to Mr Hytten, indigenous youth are over-represented in out-of-home care, making up 34 per cent of all children in care and just 4.4 per cent of the national child population.