This report commissioned by the Equity in Education Alliance seeks to quantify in dollars the extent to which the Victorian community service organisations, including emergency relief providers, assist disadvantaged families to meet school education expenses. This costs data supports the argument that the cost of education has been shifted from the state to the individual...

Community services organisations provided assistance to over 3 million clients last financial year, according to this ACOSS report. Some services are at breaking point and were forced to turn away a quarter of people needing child welfare, youth or housing services. Demand for community services across Australia increased by 19% in 2007-2008 compared to the...

Community services have experienced a sharp increase in demand, according to this report, which provides information on service use, income, expenditure and workforce issues for the community services and welfare sector. The survey of non-government agencies found a 6.3 per cent increase in the number of people assisted by community service agencies between 2005-06 and...

After months of community consultations and refining of recommendations, RCOA has released its submission to the Australian Government on the 2008-09 Refugee and Humanitarian Program. The submission canvasses many issues, including the size and composition of the humanitarian intake, family reunion for refugees, employment issues, housing, language services, international cooperation and Australian support for UNHCR.

This annual survey received responses from 857 community services across Australia in the 12 months to July 2006. The report finds that community services are under strain trying to meet the needs of disadvantaged Australians. Lack of funding or resources meant one in every sixteen people who accessed a service were turned away from community...