State community services minister Linda Burney recently announced the Government would provide $160,000 in funding for Barnardos to deliver specially-designed programs aimed at ensuring inmates had the sufficient parenting skills needed once they leave prison.

The funding will be split between two courses - the Mums and Buraays (Wiradjuri word for child) Staying Connected Program for women at Wellington Correctional Centre and the Keeping Dads Connected Program for males incarcerated at Bathurst.

Barnardos Orana Far West Centre senior manager Jodi Burnstein said there were two main objectives of the Wellington program.

“We want to develop a workable model to support incarcerated females in enhancing their parenting skills and confidence by providing them with effective activities, information and education to assist them build positive parenting skills,” she said.

“We are also aiming to develop post-release strategies in the western region with early childhood and family services to support female inmates when re-entering their communities.”

According to the Inmate Health Survey Trends 1996-2009, 68 per cent of Aboriginal women and 56 per cent of Aboriginal men in custody have dependent children younger than 16 years old.

Ms Burney said it was unfortunate that prior to entering prison, a number of women were parents to young children who, more often than not, were the heads of single households.

“Research on the long-term effect of mother/infant separation and the effects of short-term traumatic separation show that it has a long-term, devastating effect on a child’s emotional, physical and mental developments,” she said.

Ms Burnstein backed up this evidence saying that according to a FaHSCIA (Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) literature review, having a parent in prison is a significant risk factor for children of that parent.

By introducing these programs Ms Burnstein is hopeful these figures will decrease, while also reducing the risk of inmates reoffending.

“One of the strong indicators for people not to reoffend is the strength of their family ties,” she said.

“Our aim is to help strengthen these ties to reduce the chances of reoffending.

“I’m sure everyone would like to see this happen.”