Mary’s House calls for funds to support children affected by domestic and family violence
This year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March is about advocating for ‘All women and girls.’ Yvette Vignando from Mary’s House women’s refuge is taking it a step further and including girls – and boys – in the context of domestic and family violence (DFV).
Yvette is using IWD as a call out to the State Government to provide additional funding for support services for children affected by DFV, stressing that ‘All children… have the right to support.’
“Girls and children impacted by DFV receive very few specialised recovery services,” says Yvette, chief executive officer of Mary’s House. “Children who are exposed to DFV for extended periods are more likely to become a victim survivor or perpetrator in the future.”
Children also need a range of other psychosocial supports, Yvette explains, such as educational support, and she says that younger children can sometimes experience a range of developmental delays as a result of stress and trauma.
“It’s essential that (the government) looks at dedicating large amounts of funding to specialised children’s services,” Yvette says. “Some children end up with mental health concerns as a result of having witnessed or being a direct victim of domestic violence and abuse.
“It’s a cliche, but those children are future parents, future leaders, future taxpayers,” says Yvette. “Not investing in their recovery in a child-focused way is a major issue in our sector.”
Mary’s House refuge is on the North Shore and can accommodate four women and their children escaping DFV, but Yvette says they need to expand to meet the high demand for their services.
“Our dream is to get a bigger refuge,” says Yvette. “We have surpassed 15,000 nights of accommodation since opening (in 2016), but we need to double or triple our capacity and significantly increase the number of social workers we employ in order to help more women and children.”
Mary’s House doesn’t receive government funding, as it is mostly financed by donations, philanthropists, corporate partners and families with foundations, and successful fundraising events mean help for more women.
Services for women at Mary’s House and the Daisy Centre (day centre) include pro-bono legal advice, referrals to psychological services, financial advice and therapy such as yoga and art.
An annual golf day, Mother’s Day raffle, end-of-financial year appeal and Mary’s House Walk in October are vital in raising desperately needed funding.
If you would like to see how you can help, visit maryshouse.org.au
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