Community Child Care: Rattler 61

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Community Child Care Co-operative Ltd (NSW) is a not-for-profit organisation and a member of National Management Agencies Alliance Quality Management, Quality Care.

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Resources and strategies

Organise a Submission to the National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention: The Inquiry, instigated by The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, welcomes submissions from the childcare sector on the detention of child asylum seekers. 'I'd like to encourage readers of Rattler to put submissions to the Inquiry,' said the Human Rights Commissioner, Dr Sev Ozdowski, 'particularly if they have experienced detention or if they know people, especially children, who have been in detention. If your readers have expert views about how detention is impacting on children who have been in detention, or if they could make some observation on the impact, it would assist the Inquiry. The childcare sector is important for our work.'

Submissions close: Friday, 3 May 2002. Information can be found at www.hreoc.gov.au or by emailing: childrenindetention@humanrights.gov.au

Children Out of Detention: Children Out of Detention (ChilOut) is a group of parents and citizens opposed to the mandatory detention of children in Australian immigration detention centres. Their website contains ideas on activities to help children detention centres: www.chilout.org.au It also contains handouts, including Facts versus Myths from the Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education, which can be used for information and education campaigns.

Research the issue and pass on facts: The Truth Hurts is a booklet addressing some of the myths and misconceptions currently circulating about asylum seekers. Each myth is illustrated with a case history, and is written in plain English. Copies are available from the Centre for Refugee Research at the University of New South Wales, phone (02) 9385 1961 or email cenrefre@unsw.edu.au

Write letters to newspapers, councillors, politicians; disseminate information by talking about the issues in children's services. There are a number of websites and links, as found in Chilout, containing sample letters.

Organise a group of people to call talk back radio. Most of the myths about refugees are perpetuated by radio personalties and the media. The audience take the information as true, as seen by the recent 'children overboard' saga. Once the facts replace the myths, people will be more informed to act on accurate information. Work towards the ideal of an informed public.

Exodus Foundation assists homeless and abandoned youth and other people in need. It has initiated a community meeting group to discuss issues and action that can be taken. Call the Foundation on (02) 9799 2811 for further details.

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