Media Release
April 17 2007
A site for children coping with divorce
A
website which aims to help children, teens and parents experiencing
separation or divorce will be launched by UniSA and
Centacare next week.
CHaT First (CHildren and Teens First - www.chatfirst.com.au*) is unique in that it presents information about separation and divorce with a child-centred focus.
It is the result of months of research as part of the Children and Families in Transition (CAFIT) project looking at the needs of children in separating families.
Project director and leader of the Centre for Peace, Conflict and Mediation in UniSA’s Hawke Research Institute for Sustainable Societies, Associate Professor Dale Bagshaw said that research shows children are voiceless in the separation process and yet are deeply affected by it.
“CHaT First is one of a number of services we have developed in partnership with Centacare and with the help of two Telstra Foundation grants to help children to cope with their parents’ separation,” Assoc Prof Bagshaw said.
“The website content - which includes a range of age-appropriate information, support, interactive games, music and useful contacts - came out of the responses of parents, children and relatives in a state-wide phone-in. It has different sections for children, teenagers and parents.”
In addition to CHaT First, the CAFIT project has developed parallel parent and child education groups and child-inclusive mediation as part of a comprehensive model of family service delivery at Centacare Catholic Family Services.
“The model prioritises the needs and rights of children, aims to enhance communication between parents and children, to minimise the effects of parental conflict, violence and abuse, and to assist parents to help their children to cope with separation,” Assoc Prof Bagshaw said.
* the CHaT First website will be available to the public in May. From April 26 until then, the website can be accessed at http://www.chatfirst.com.au/home.php
The CHaT First website will be launched by
The Honourable Justice Christine Dawe
at 4.30pm, Thursday April 26
in the Atrium, Yungondi Building
University of South Australia
City West campus, North Terrace
Music by Quest. Drinks and nibbles provided.
RSVP roopa.howard@unisa.edu.au by Friday April 20
Contact for interview
-
Assoc Prof Dale Bagshaw office (08) 8302 4375 mobile 0408 805 641 email dale.bagshaw@unisa.edu.au
Media contact
-
Vincent Ciccarello office (08) 8302 0578 mobile 0434 603 457
email vincent.ciccarello@unisa.edu.au