As Australians and people around the world pay tribute to Gough Whitlam today, it seems only right to acknowledge and celebrate the immense effect his government had in laying the foundation for the social and community sector (SACS) as we know it today. In 1973, the Whitlam Government launched the Australian Assistance Plan, which was a program of funding social welfare services at the grassroots level. Funding administered by 37 regional councils, who allocated the priorities and made decisions as to how money could be best spent. The funding was distributed to community centres, volunteer groups, resource centres, and programs designed to provide assistance to support people with specific needs, including women, children, young people, disabled people, the elderly, and new migrants. This new model of delivering social welfare services was praised for the power it gave to grassroots organisations, and the promotion of community participation in the delivery of social services. Through the years these changes have touched countless lives and continue today thru the work of community and disability workers across Australia.
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 02:32:20 +0000
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