Kids Hope Australia

What is Kids Hope Australia?

KIDS HOPE AUS. is a mentoring program that helps Australian children needing additional support, and their families. Through a partnership between local churches and primary schools, Kids Hope Aus. works to improve opportunities for mentored children in the areas of education, self confidence and wellbeing.

For one hour each week, a caring adult from the church mentors a child needing additional support at their school. This usually involves helping the child with homework, playing games, arts and crafts, or just spending time together.

KIDS HOPE AUS. assists churches to recruit and prepare caring mentors for ongoing mentoring relationships with vulnerable children. Churches are responsible for appointing a paid coordinator (salary or honorarium) to run the program with the assistance of World Vision.

How is TCBC involved?

Our church recently became involved in the Kids Hope program in 2008. We have partnered with a local school, which chooses children who would benefit from a one-to-one relationship with an adult. The mentors are all volunteers from our church. Each one engages with his or her student for one hour a week, building the relationship through encouraging, helping with school work, doing craft or art and playing games.

The response from the school, teachers and many students has been encouraging. Some teachers have seen an improvement in attitude after only a few weeks of mentoring. At the moment we have fourteen mentors, each supported by a prayer partner. Due the overwhelming success of the program, the school is requesting more mentors from the church to assist additional children.

Does it really make a difference?

Absolutely. Here is feedback from one of our mentors . . . .

Neil has gone from a sullen little boy with a huge chip on his shoulder to a happy excited one.One day he said “How come I get to do fun things with you every week? I was in Grade one and now I’m in Grade three..”
I replied: “Oh, I think the teacher thought you and I could be friends.”

Then Neil replied “Oh boy, I was lucky I came to school that day when the teacher decided on that idea!”

I love being a mentor. You really are breathing life into a child and can see them come alive and blossom before your very eyes.

What can I do to help?

Can you help a child to blossom and are you able to commit one hour per week? If so, contact Suzanne Crowfoot on 9487 8512.

Where can I get more information?

At the Kids Hope section of the World Vision Australia website here.