Canberra community services vow to reverse major Federal Government funding cuts

Canberra's peak community organisation says ACT services are in chaos following the Commonwealth's move to slash more than $1 million from annual grants.

The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) and partners interstate have been continuing to lobby for the funding cuts to be reversed in favour of a negotiated plan with stakeholders.

But ACTCOSS director Susan Helyar said services across Canberra were still in a state of deep uncertainty.

"They're working really hard to make sure that uncertainty doesn't transfer to people using the services, but there is such a mixed message coming out about what the Government's intentions and plans are," she said.

Ms Helyar said it had been an anxious nine months for staff in the sector.

"Everytime the Government commits to provide us with a list of what's happening, they don't meet their deadline," she said.

"Having asked for it first on December 24, we still don't have a list of what's being funded and what's being cut."

But Ms Helyar said some front line community services had already closed.

"We've had services which have had their funding more than halved," she said.

"In the context of increased demand, because we've got increasing cost of living and increasing unemployment.

"This is exactly the time we need more support for these services, but they're being cut substantially.

"If we cut those services completely we will see long-term costs to both Commonwealth and Territory funded services. It is a false saving."

YWCA Canberra grants slashed by more than $30,000

Annual Commonwealth grants to a poverty relief service operated by YWCA Canberra have been slashed from $50,000 to $19,000.

YWCA Canberra provides food aid, emergency swags, scripts, vouchers and advice to people in need in Canberra's north and from a much larger south-side hub at Lanyon.

The cashless Lanyon supermarket is staffed entirely by volunteers and puts food on the table for more than 90 Tuggeranong residents each fortnight.

"It is new people all the time," YWCA Canberra Community Services director Fiona MacGregor said.

As a result of the funding cuts, YWCA has decided to withdraw services from the city's north and retain their south-side service at Lanyon.

"If we were to spread it across Canberra we would have to dramatically reduce the number of items people could get," Ms MacGregor said.

But Ms MacGregor said with the often hidden number in need continuing to grow across Canberra, the YWCA was determined to keep its emergency relief afloat by ramping up fundraising.

A total of $500,000 in annual grant funding has been slashed from Belconnen Community Service and a program to prevent homelessness was closed on Tuesday.

"It is going to put a whole lot of pressure on our existing homelessness services across the ACT," Belconnen Community Service chief executive Dira Horne said.

"I don't think we have ever been treated like this even under a past Liberal government."

Karralika Family Program to lose grants worth $300,000

The Karralika Family Program is set to lose annual grants worth around $300,000.

The residential program allows children to stay with their parents while they undertake treatment for drug addiction.

It is the only program of its kind in Canberra and the southern half of New South Wales.

Karralika's south-side family facility has 17 beds and has been in operation since 1978.

"Our families live with us sometimes up to a year, they are complex families. There are often issues of domestic violence, homelessness, foster care and trauma," Karralika chief executive Camilla Rowland said.

"The beds for children are under threat because we get most of our funding for our family program component from the Department of Social Services [DSS].

"We understand that we were not successful with their initial funding program, tenders and applications that went out.

"Ninety per cent of the families that come to us are under care and protection orders so many of these children will go into foster care."

The nearest alternative family residential intensive supported rehabilitation programs are located in Benalla, Victoria or Sydney, NSW which is oversubscribed.

But Ms Rowland said there was a glimmer of hope, with the DSS beginning an analysis of the implications of their cuts to "critical front line services", like those delivered by Karralika.

"We have waiting lists of families, they need to know that they have somewhere they can go," she said.

"We really need to know in the next month what the long-term proposition is for our family program."

Losing family program 'would be ridiculous'

Jane, 28, from Kambah used the Karralika Family Program in 2011.

She said the program was life changing and had helped get her child returned to her care.

"The program gave me the opportunity to learn to parent drug free," she said.

"It supported me to take responsibly for my choices and help me gain partnering skills so that I was able to understand the impact of drugs and alcohol had on myself and my child.

"Today, myself and my partner who also did the program, have another two children and we are both employed. We have been free from drugs and alcohol since entering the program."

Jane said it would be "ridiculous" if funding cuts forced the program to close.

"We need more programs like the Karralika Family Program as it saves lives and families," she said.