Our schools are important community assets, and we are committed to providing funds to support students in both government and non-government schools.

Non-government schools in the Dubbo electorate have received $188,953 in additional funding to put into resources where they are most needed.

The NSW Government’s additionality funding is provided to non-government schools on a needs basis to provide resources such as teacher’s aides to support students with disability, teacher training or literacy and numeracy intervention programs.

Schools know best where to direct these funds, and we’re pleased to provide this funding for a range of programs and resources to best support local students.

This tranche of payments is the second of two for 2017, the first being delivered in the first half of the year. The total allocation this year has been $348,804.

Every child in our community deserves a safe, loving and secure home for life with National Adoption Awareness Week (November 12- 18) promoting the benefits of permanency for all children.

All children deserve a safe home for life and where a child cannot remain safely with their birth family, kin, or guardian, open adoption is the next option to be considered.

Our first priority is to always work with families to keep them together, but in cases where this is not possible, we must ensure more children are given permanency as quickly as possible.

For anyone considering adoption, starting with fostering a child in out-of-home care could be a positive pathway. We want all children in NSW to enjoy the benefits of a secure home.

This year the NSW Government introduced a number of reforms to streamline adoption and make adopting children in out-of-home-care easier. A record number of out-of-home-care adoptions took place in 2016/17 with 129 orders finalised before the NSW Supreme Court.

National Adoption Awareness Week is a wonderful opportunity to increase understanding about the open adoption process in our local community. The NSW Government is committed to supporting families looking to adopt with information on adoption available on the FACS website.

Just a reminder to all our primary school kids out there that my annual Christmas card competition is on again this year.

For more information get your teacher or a parent to contact my office on 6882 3577.

Until next week, Troy