SUPPORT FOR YOUNG FAMILIES AND CHILDREN
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Legacy is committed to providing young families with every opportunity to thrive. Young Legacy families deserve special treatment in view of the significant loss they must endure without a parent and spouse. Legacy aims to compensate families for their loss by providing support through parenting assistance, educational, financial and mentoring programs.
| Australia's increased use of its defence force on military, humanitarian and peacekeeping duties has led to a new generation of veterans. In recent years, over 40,000 Australians have served in places such as Somalia, Rwanda, Afghanistan, East Timor, the Gulf Wars, lraq, Bosnia, Namibia, Bougainville and Solomon lslands.
These deployments are often dangerous, and families need to be confident that they will be cared for, always, should the unthinkable happen, or if their husband, wife, father or mother dies subsequent to their service.
Support for young families and children may involve:
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The Beckwith Family
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My husband Pete died of a brain tumour, received from radiation, last year at the age of 29 years.
Once the malignant tumour was diagnosed, our lives were filled with utter despair. We had one brief period of remission, but he gradually deteriorated. Of course I gave up work to nurse Pete while he died, and it was a long and torturous experience for us all. Not only did I have to cope with nursing Pete, but I also had to cope with our two small children and the confusion and despair they experienced.
The last six months were particularly bad. There was no hope for Pete, and it was all I could do to hold it together for his sake. I wept bitterly for Pete, for myself, but above all for our children, William and Emma.
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To make matters worse, it has been a battle to get compensation for Pete’s death, but I am still trying, for all our sakes.
| Someone referred me to Legacy and from the first time I called them they have been magnificent. Legacy took care of our desperate financial situation straight away. More than that, they gave us some stability and hope at the time we were the most vulnerable. I know Legacy will always be there for us.
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Providing financial hardship relief
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Legacy’s young families typically suffer financial stress after the death of a father or mother. Legacy is there to provide whatever financial support is necessary to achieve immediate practical solutions to the urgent and pressing needs of young families after tragedy. This includes accommodation options, domestic assistance, child care and parental support for a time until the family re-establishes its life after the death of a mother or father.
Government compensation is often payable for a service death, and this may provide some relief to financial stress. However, Legacy’s support for families remains ongoing. A grieving family becomes part of the wider Legacy family, and can rely on Legacy for whatever assistance may be required.
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Advocating for entitlements
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It is vitally important for vulnerable families to have someone who can champion their cause. Legacy appoints advocates for families who are totally committed to their care. These advocates provide sound advice about different sources of support available through government departments, community and social welfare services. This includes advocating for widows' pensions where the death was caused on or because of military service.
Advocates often have an ex-service background, and are fully aware of the situation families find themselves in after the death of a veteran. An advocate’s empathy and strong bond with a service or ex-service family leads to spirited championing of their cause when it comes to entitlements and other forms of assistance.
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Helping families to thrive
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While Legacy can never replace a deceased father, mother or spouse, we constantly strive to create the ideal environment in which the bereaved family can thrive, despite their loss. Marshalling all our resources, we provide the advocacy, counselling, and family support necessary for each family member to carry on with their lives.
Legacy keeps in regular touch with these families, constantly assessing their requirements, providing sound advice, and supporting them to build happy and productive lives. In the early stages after the death of their loved one, this may entail domestic assistance, urgent home maintenance and security, companionship, transport and child care. This is especially important if there is no extended family.
After a period of readjustment and vital support, longer term strategies are employed to assist family members with employment preparation, education, health, domestic matters and children’s development. Legacy’s enduring relationships with families goes some way to providing them with the comfort and security they had known prior to their loss.
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Assisting with children’s education and development
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Legacy has a long history of nurturing the development of children of deceased veterans, with a special priority given to education. Grants and scholarships are made available to help defray the cost of education, volunteers mentor children during their education and during their everyday lives, and responsible and reliable advisors assist with education and life choices.
Another aspect of our commitment to youth is the organisation of fun and personal development opportunities, outward bound courses, adventure activities and holiday camps.
While these activities are an ideal time for children and families to take time out, camps are also an opportunity for children to join a social network of young people with similar backgrounds and who understand their challenging journey. Camps also provide an ideal opportunity for single parents to take a break from the responsibilities of raising children alone.
Children need to know that they can rely on this support, and Legacy is proud of its commitment to do whatever it takes to support these children in the absence of a parent. |
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| To find out more about Legacy’s programs to support the young families of deceased Australian Defence personnel, contact a Legacy Club in your community |
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