- Cook Labor Government providing $500,000 to
WA-based charity Dandelions
- Funding to help provide backpacks with school
supplies to Western Australian students who don't have all they need for school
- Complements the WA Student Assistance Payment, Secondary
Assistance Scheme and KidSport voucher increases in delivering cost of living
support to families
The
Cook Government will provide $500,000 to WA-based charity Dandelions to support
its work distributing school supplies to children in need.
Dandelions
WA provides brand-new school backpacks filled with essential items like
stationery, lunch boxes, water bottles, hats, and toiletries. The Dandelions WA
Back to School campaign supports schools and students by promoting equity and
inclusion, helping young people to feel a sense of belonging and reducing
social barriers.
The
one-off donation will provide important assistance to WA students and families
struggling with cost-of-living pressures, and make sure remaining funds from
the WA Student Assistance Payment go towards measures aimed at taking pressure
off families.
The
donation builds on the WA Student Assistance Payment, which made available $250
for all Western Australian secondary students, and $150 for all primary and
kindergarten students.
The
payment supported almost 400,000 students and their families with school costs.
To
provide additional assistance to families on low incomes, the State Government has
also enhanced its Secondary Assistance Scheme for eligible families with children
in secondary schooling, who will receive an increased $300 School Clothing
Allowance to assist with the purchase of school uniforms in both 2024 and 2025.
Assistance
available to eligible families through the Government's successful KidSport
voucher program has also been significantly increased to $500 for 2025.
Another
WA-based charity Give Write also received a $500,000 one-off donation to
support its work distributing new and recycled stationery to school children in
need right across the State.
Comments attributed to Education Minister Dr Tony Buti:
"Our WA Student Assistance
Payment has helped hundreds of thousands of Western Australians with meeting
the costs of sending their children to school – but we know there are some
families out there who need more help.
"We want to make sure the
remaining funds from the WA Student Assistance Payment go towards measures that
provide meaningful assistance to families.
"Dandelions WA are doing great work,
and this one-off donation will ensure that can continue and be enhanced."
