A youth night service in Fitzroy Crossing is caught in a policy tug-of-war, with local leaders arguing it is being treated as a youth justice program even though a significant share of children using it are under 10.
It’s been reported Marra Worra Worra Aboriginal Corporation (MWWAC) former chief executive Clinton Wolf said WA Child Protection Minister Jessica Stojkovski told him the organisation’s Night Space would not receive Department of Communities funding because it was classified as a justice diversion program.
The Night Space operates seven nights a week in Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley and provides meals, showers, mentoring, and connections to services including school re-enrolment and basic health check-ins, according to the report. MWWAC said the kitchen served more than 25,000 meals and the program engaged with almost 700 young people in its first year.
MWWAC head of community programs Nicola Angell told National Indigenous Times that 18 per cent of children attending the service were under 10. Mr Wolf said he raised concerns about applying a “criminal justice diversion model” to children aged two to 10.
In WA, the age of criminal responsibility is 10, meaning children under 10 cannot be charged with a criminal offence, according to Legal Aid WA’s public information.
It’s reported a government spokesperson said “the safety and well-being of children is always the State Government’s highest priority” and described early intervention approaches, including Early Intervention and Family Support Services and Target 120 (a program for young people at risk of offending). The spokesperson said the State Government funds Communities “a total of more than $2 million per year” in the West Kimberley to deliver Target 120 and provide Intensive Family Support Services.
Ms Angell told the outlet the Department of Communities refers children to the service, but does not fund it. She said the lack of funding limits what staff can do for under-10s on busy nights, even though staff do not turn children away.
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