2010 Annual Report

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Contents

Mission and values ………………………………………………………………………. 5 Message from the President ……………………………….………………………. 7 Message from the CEO ……………………………………………………………….. 8 Time for Kids: At a glance ……………………………………………………………. 10 Our services ……..………………………………………………..………...……………... 11 A unique service …………………………………………………………………………… 12 Audited financial report, profit and loss account …………………………. 13 Audited financial report, balance sheet ………………………………………. 14 Audited financial report, auditor’s statement ……………………………... 15 2010: the year in review …..…………………………………………………………. 16 Our Board ……………………………………………………………………………………. 18 Our staff …………………………….………………………………………………………... 19 Our volunteers: office volunteers ...…...………………………………………... 20 Our volunteers: Fundraising Committee members ..…………………... 20 Our volunteers: carers and mentors …...………………………………………... 21 Our community network ………………………………………………...……………. 22 Our Ambassadors …….…………………...……………………………...…………….. 23 Our Patron …….…………………...…...……..…………………………...…………….. 23 Our history ………….…………………………………………………………………….…. 24 Our supporters ………..…………..……………………………………………..……….. 26 Our stories …………………………………..……………………………………………….. 28 Join us …………………………………………………...………………………….…………... 29

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Mission and values

Our mission

Our mission is to assist children and young people in need by recruiting and supporting carers who will provide them with high quality care and time.

Our objectives

1. Provide high quality, positive experiences for children and young people in need. 2. Recruit and support new carers. 3. Retain and support current carers. 4. Create a sound financial base. 5. Build brand recognition. Increase awareness and market Time for Kids to the

general public, corporate sector and government. 6. Develop a professional and effective staff team and Management Board.

Our values

Time for Kids is a child-focused organisation. We believe that every child should have the opportunity to develop into a well-adjusted and responsible member of the community. We value each child’s potential and, through our programs, seek opportunities to develop that potential. At all times, through the delivery of quality services, we seek to:

ensure the safety of the child value the child’s cultural identity support the family unit foster the child’s self esteem and ensure his or her happiness.

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Message From the President Philip Scales

Our 50th year of operations has now arrived. Thanks to our volunteer carers, our programs continue to enjoy extraordinary success, the greatest of which is the life changing experience which children living in a disadvantaged or risky environment receive. Our carers deserve community recognition for the work they do for no financial reward. This being a special anniversary year, I would like to take the occasion to acknowledge my parents. In 1960 my father was in charge of the South Australian Juvenile Court and recognised the need for children who appeared before him to receive support of the type which our program provides, if they were to overcome the problems he indentified in their backgrounds. After much lobbying he convinced relevant people to get behind the concept, resulting in the Society of Sponsors (SOS), as it was originally known, being launched. He continued as President until 1969. My mother was of great support and was involved in a number of areas on a voluntary basis, including acting as secretary, recruiting carers and performing social work duties. She also assumed the role of President for a number of years. In the context of my father’s position and his foresight, it is remarkable that none of the children who have participated in our program have, to our knowledge, appeared before the Courts while with Time for Kids, notwithstanding their backgrounds. And there have been over 4,600 of them. This was no doubt one of the factors involved in us being presented with the 2009 Australian

Crime and Violence Prevention Award in Canberra late last year, which was a national award received from the Federal Government and the Australian Institute of Criminology. I am sure my parents would be proud of this achievement as we all are, and it is a tribute not only to our carer families, but also to our staff and Board members as well as our supporters, without whose generosity we could not operate as we do. Such generosity has been received not only from the State Government and in recent times the Federal Government, but also from the private sector, including individuals, charitable and business entities, and from our great Ambassadors. Details of many of them appear elsewhere in this report. I mentioned last year a new era had commenced. The appointment of Jo Wickes as our new Chief Executive Officer has produced results which have exceeded our expectations. Not only has she built a team of committed, able and enthusiastic people, she has also created an impetus which has placed us in a far more secure position. Her initiatives are thoughtful and appropriate. The Board has been delighted with her efforts and those of our staff without whom the ideas could not come to fruition. Nor could they be achieved without the work which our Board members perform. Their enthusiasm and tenacity have played a major role in our ability to operate successfully. The result of all this is our recognition that, as there are so many children in need of our service, we feel an obligation to expand it. We have a great sense of optimism in that

regard as so many people are coming forward

to help and I am sure we will achieve our goals.

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2010 was an exciting year for Time for Kids celebrating our 50th anniversary – 50 years of providing care and support for disadvantaged South Australian children. Throughout the year we held a variety of functions and events acknowledging and appreciating the many people who have contributed a great deal to the work of Time for Kids since the organisation was established in 1960 by the Senior Magistrate in the South Australian Youth Court, William Scales, and his wife Betty. This was also a year for focusing on building the organisation for the future. Having recognised past achievements we faced the challenge of growing the organisation into a strongly-supported and well-resourced organisation with the capacity to take a major and prominent leadership role in the provision of critical services for children in-need for the next 50 years. Our strategy for growth recognised six key components: our profile; innovation; network/relationships; partnerships; quality services-targeted; and cost effective services. I am pleased to report that we have made significant progress with this strategy. As a lasting memento of our 50th year we published the book It’s About Time – giving kids a break, written by Time for Kids volunteers, Bunty Parsons and Dianne Maguire. The book captures the optimism, heartache and ultimately the success of Time for Kids children and families.

The introduction of the book, under the heading, It takes a village to raise a child says, ‘This ageless African adage lends wisdom to the joys and perils of child rearing. Yet never has it been more relevant than it is today in Australia and other Western civilisations.’ To lift our profile we were fortunate to have the assistance of Erik Thomson, star of Channel Seven’s award winning ‘Packed to the Rafters’. With the generous support of Channel Seven, a television commercial featuring Erik screened throughout the year. Erik also hosted a VIP cocktail function raising both finances and our profile. Erik and other celebrities recorded a series of radio advertisements with support from dmg Radio led by Kingsley Hall. This promotion in the media has seen an increase in the number of carers becoming involved. A 50th anniversary highlight for our carers was the reception held at Government House to acknowledge their magnificent contribution to the South Australian community. This event was hosted by His Excellency Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce AC CSC RANR Governor of South Australia. The Governor very generously followed this up by agreeing to become Patron of Time for Kids. Raising money is always a challenge and this year, for the very first time, we had a marvellous fundraising committee led by Georgina Hardy. This energetic and creative group of women created a series of highly enjoyable and profitable events over the course of the year including a garden party, cocktail party and book launch.

Message From the CEO Jo Wickes

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We have also established new partnerships with the State Government Attorney General’s Department, the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Housing SA Homeless Innovation Project, Minter Ellison Lawyers, Port Adelaide Football Club, Adelaide Football Club and the Future 2 Foundation.

Maintaining our existing relationships has also been a priority and we have continued to work with tireless supporters: Department of Families and Communities; Variety SA, the Children’s Charity; Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs; United Way; Kids and Families Foundation; Australian Hotels Association of South Australia; The Liquor Industry Charity Golf Day; Wood Foundation and Community Benefit SA. We have also strengthened our new team of Ambassadors consisting of influential people who represent us across the community, helping build new relationships with key people, businesses and organisations. You can meet this inspiring group of people on page 23 of our Annual Report.

I am pleased that our 50th Anniversary has given us the opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate the remarkable contribution of the Scales family to the work of Time For Kids since William Scales and his wife Betty formed the organisation, then known as Society of Sponsors, in 1960. In 1977 their son Philip became President and under his exceptional leadership the organisation has grown to become the Time For Kids of 2010. Philip remains President to this day and we are all delighted that his sons Ben and Peter have continued the family tradition with Ben joining our Board and Peter becoming an Ambassador. Thanks to the overwhelming support received during our 50th Anniversary year Time for Kids will continue to make a difference to the lives of young South Australians and for their families doing it tough in our community. We are now well placed to expand our range of services as we strive to ensure that every child in South Australia has the best start in life with access to the many opportunities that South Australia has to offer.

‘Thanks to the overwhelming support received during our 50th Anniversary year Time for Kids will continue to make a difference to the lives of young South Australians and for their families doing it tough in our community.’

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Time for Kids at a glance

Time for Kids is a highly successful early intervention program assisting disadvantaged children who are at elevated risk of delinquency, truancy, homelessness and criminal behaviour.

We place children from birth to 17 years with volunteer carers on a regular part time basis,

usually for one day or weekend a month or during school holidays, and for mentoring. Time for Kids was founded in 1960 (then called the Society of Sponsors) by William Scales SM,

who was then head of the South Australian Juvenile Court. In the past 50 years, we have assisted more than 4600 South Australian children and their

families by matching them with volunteer caring families. One notable statistic is that none of these children have appeared in the State’s Youth Court

while involved in our program. Time for Kids was a 2009 National Crime and Violence Prevention Award winner. Each year we support around 150 children and their families, although the demand for

placements far exceeds our current capacity for support. One third of children currently assisted are under the Guardianship of the Minister. Children are referred to us by social workers, school counsellors and health care professionals

from a wide range of agencies, and by Families SA workers. The children we support often live with isolated sole parents, grandparents or families in crisis. Mostly the parent/s are struggling with overwhelming social, health and economic difficulties,

which leave children with limited stable support in their lives.

The children referred to our program have an elevated chance of delinquency and contact with the youth justice system. Our aim is to give them experiences and mentoring that will help them to make positive life choices and enable them to grow into self reliant and responsible adults.

We are a registered charity and licensed foster care agency administered by a volunteer Board of Management.

We receive core funding from the Department of Families and Communities and raise the remainder of our budget from other funding bodies, government agencies, private donors and philanthropic organisations.

We are an Alliance Program Partner to the South Australian Strategic Plan.

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Our services

Family respite and support service We provide regular respite care to children living with one or both parents, who are struggling with multiple issues in their household. We match each child with a supportive individual or family for respite care, usually for one day or weekend each month. Our staff, our carers, the child and their family work as a team to best strengthen and support children. This connection with a carer’s family is often sustained for the whole of the child’s life.

Mentoring program Positive role models come in all ages, shapes and sizes. Although overnight respite care may not be appropriate for you or your family, you can still make a world of difference to the life of a child by sharing regular mentor’s days. These take place once a week, fortnightly or monthly, and can be for a morning, afternoon or for a full day. Shared activities can include playing or watching sport, bike riding, bushwalking, cooking, going to the movies or providing a child with the opportunity to explore South Australia at places like the museum, art gallery, parks or beaches. Time for Kids staff will help you with ideas and activities.

Grandparents respite and support service Many grandparents have full time care responsibilities for their grandchildren. Time for Kids can arrange regular respite care with a volunteer family and provide support to grandparents. Each year, we provide outings and activities for grandparents and grandchildren to enjoy together.

Relative and Kinship respite and support service We provide regular respite care for children in the State Care system, who are living with relatives or kinship carers. We match children with supportive families for respite care, usually for one day or weekend each month. Our staff, our carers, the child and their family work as a team to best strengthen and support children. The connection with a carer family is often sustained for the whole of the child’s adult life.

School holiday program Each school holidays we provide week-long placements for children. City children can go to a regional South Australian location and children from regional areas can come to the city. Children stay with a volunteer carer family and return to the same holiday destination in subsequent holidays, forging strong links.

Carer support services Time for Kids recruits, assesses, trains and manages the approval process for our volunteer carers. All Time for Kids carers are registered foster carers in South Australia. We offer a peer support network, social functions and a resource library, as well as ongoing training.

Parenting support program Time for Kids offers the families of referred children access to a support team for referral, advocacy and counselling. Families have access to our financial management program which includes emergency relief funds and resources, ongoing assistance from financial counsellors and parenting and household skill development. Every child and their family is supported by a dedicated and highly qualified team.

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A unique service

The Time for Kids model of respite care is unique in South Australia. This results in the delivery of a preventative, restorative and holistic approach to caring for children who have been abused or neglected, and those who are at risk of this happening. Many children live with parents struggling to cope with multiple challenges, have parent/s in prison, are under the Guardianship of the Minister, and many live with grandparents or other relatives.

Respite care is provided for children who are under the Guardianship of the Minister with the same caring family for one weekend every month, rather than with a series of paid shift workers in a motel, which is the common alternative option for respite care.

Time for Kids is unique in South Australia in offering regular respite care to children who are identified as being at high risk of delinquency, truancy, homelessness or entry to state care. These children are referred to us by community workers, social workers, teachers or doctors, who have identified the families and children as being at very high risk.

Time for Kids has a strong focus on early intervention, early childhood development and taking a preventative approach to keeping families intact and to strengthening the resources and support available to marginalised families.

Time for Kids offers disadvantaged children positive childhood experiences, acceptance, respect, care, positive adult and peer role models and a break from a stressful home life. We provide a network of supportive adults who assist children throughout their childhood and into adulthood. It is a credit to our carers that in the history of Time for Kids services, no children have become involved in offending or the juvenile justice system while participating in the program.

Time for Kids offers primary families struggling with a range of issues — such as poverty, familial incarceration, long term unemployment, mental illness, physical and intellectual disabilities, substance abuse, gambling, violence and anti-social behaviour — access to financial counsellors and social workers to help strengthen the child’s primary family. We do this through the provision of training, activities, material resources and counselling.

Our carers and mentors are volunteers and receive no government reimbursement. This is a critical factor in the successful outcomes for children. Children are aware when payments are made. This can alter their view of the reasons why carers would wish to care for them. With our model, the children know from the outset that carers are offering their homes and their time because they care about the child, rather than because they are receiving payment. For some children this is their first experience of this in their lives.

Many carers continue to have a relationship with the child in their care, and offer support into adulthood. We know that young people require support for far longer than 18 years, particularly when they are traumatised due to experiencing or witnessing abuse. This ongoing support helps protect young people from homelessness and improves education and employment outcomes. This support and reference point is particularly important to young people leaving the State Care system at the age of 18 years, who often lack adequate levels of ongoing support.

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Audited financial report

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Audited financial report

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Auditor’s statement

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2010: The year in review Time for Kids received 115 new referrals seeking

respite care for children and young people. 40 newly referred children were matched and placed

with respite carers. 151 respite care placements were supported during the

year. Carers contributed in excess of 60,000 volunteer hours. 38 new carers joined Time for Kids. 100 children remain on the waiting list seeking carers. The northern and southern grandparent’s peer

networks were established to provide support, resources and social events.

2009 Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Award

winner. 2010 Givewell National best community project finalist. His Excellency, Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce AC CSC RANR

Governor of South Australia announces his patronage of Time for Kids.

Held our 50th anniversary celebration at Adelaide Town

Hall for 150 guests. Publication of It’s About Time; giving kids a break by

Dianne Maguire and Bunty Parsons. Collection of inspiring interviews with carers, children

and families from the past 50 years. Time for Kids ‘Mentors Matter’ program was launched

for young people aged 12 years and over. In partnership with Future 2 Foundation and Financial

Planning Association our first series of financial literacy workshops are held for young people.

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Patricia Parker, Erik Thomson and Amanda Blair at the 50th year celebration at the Adelaide Town Hall

Bunty Parsons, Philip Scales, Di Maguire and Gavin Wanganeen at the launch of It’s about time: giving kids a break

Jo Wickes, Kerrin Falconer and Michael Hawthorn at the Future2 Foundation cheque presentation

Ben Scales, His Excellency Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce AC CSC RANR Governor of South Australia and Melinda O’Leary sharing morning tea at the Time for Kids office

2010: The year in review Mari Yerta Aboriginal Corporation and Time for Kids

form a partnership to support and collaborate to provide the best services we possibly can to our Aboriginal community.

Port Adelaide Football Club became a partner of Time

for Kids offering tickets to all home games and special events for children.

Adelaide Football Club became a partner of Time for

Kids offering tickets to all home games. The Time for Kids high profile Ambassadors team was

established to help spread the word about Time for Kids volunteering opportunities.

Erik Thomson and Channel Seven volunteered their

expertise and air time to create and run a TV commercial to encourage volunteering.

Dmg radio volunteered their expertise and air time to

create a series of radio commercials to encourage volunteering.

With support from over 30 businesses we distributed

120 Christmas gifts to children and 40 food hampers for families.

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The inaugural meeting of the Mari Yerta Women’s Committee

One lucky ‘Time for Kids’ kid sharing the glory with the Port Power football team

Time for Kids volunteer family (from left) Ruby, Ian, Sandy and Ella Shaw celebrating the launch of It’s about time: giving kids a break

‘It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Georgina Hardy Board member

Our Board Time for Kids is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The Board meets 10 to 12 times each year to provide advice, guidance and governance to the Chief Executive Officer. At June 30, 2010 our Board members are:

The Secretary is Joanne Wickes The Auditor is David Lovell

Philip Scales AM President

John Younger Treasurer

Di Maguire Vice President

Kirsty Davies Board member

Michael Hawthorn Board member

Ben Scales Board member

Philip is a consultant with legal firm, Scales and Partners, co-founder and former Executive Director of the Law Council of Australia Criminal Law Section, member of the Criminal Lawyers Association of Australia and New Zealand, and former Deputy Presiding Member of the SA Parole Board. He has contributed to the management of Time for Kids for 35 years.

Dianne is a qualified social worker with over 20 years’ experience in child protection and child welfare. She has held management positions in direct practice, policy and service development and runs her own social work consultancy. She joined the Board in 2004.

Michael is a certified financial planner, and former owner of the Thornton Group Financial Planning company. He is a mentor for the FUSE program, which offers assistance to newly arrived refugees, and the Classroom Connections program run by SA Great. He is also a fellow of the Leaders Institute of SA.

Formerly a chartered accountant and businessman, John continues to consult as a Management and Business Advisor in feasibility assessments, business valuations and computer financial modelling.

Kirsty has more than 20 years experience working in public relations, including 14 years in London working for Hill & Knowlton, and as a private consultant. In 2008, in partnership with friend, Philippa Williams, she started her own marketing consulting company, Go Girl Marketing Solutions.

Ben has worked for Jarvis Walker for over 16 years, and has extensive financial management experience. Ben is the third generation of the Scales family to play an integral role in the management of Time for Kids, and continues the philanthropic tradition established by his grandparents and continued by his parents, Philip and Bibby Scales.

Georgina has been a volunteer carer with Time for Kids for more than three years. She has extensive experience in the community sector, including organising volunteering and fundraising events for the Red Cross, St Peters College Mission Guild and the Magdalene Centre. She is also Chair of Board fundraising sub-committee.

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Anne Linke, Lynne Kennedy and Jo Wickes

Our staff Time for Kids is committed to providing a flexible and responsive workplace, with a focus on professional development for our staff. As of June 30, 2010 our staff team are:

Corporate Services Chief Executive Officer Jo Wickes Office Manager Anne Linke Book Keeper Lynne Kennedy

Student Placements Lucy Seppelt Yee Yee Lee Erica Southern Meredith Giles Brenda Wan

Julie Hill, Lucy Seppelt, Rachel Moyle Daniel Arnold and Mia Clifford

Service Delivery Children’s Services Manager Mia Clifford Case Manager Daniel Arnold Case Manager Rachel Moyle Case Manager Julie Hill

Georgina Hardy Lucy Seppelt Erica Southern

Brenda Wan Yee Yee Lee

Meredith Giles

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Consultants Events Coordinator Georgina Hardy

‘How wonderful that no one need wait a single moment to improve the world.’ Anne Frank

Our volunteers Office Volunteers

Thao Tran Elle Filosi

Sharon Lewis Karen Fairbank

Chloe Truong

Sue Ward Rimma Dennis Kaii Zecchin

Lauren Knight Deanne Gallasch

Fundraising Committee volunteers

Led by Board member and Time for Kids volunteer carer, Georgina Hardy, the Fundraising Committee raised vital funds and our public profile in 2010. At June 30, 2010 our Fundraising Committee volunteers are:

At Time for Kids, we are fortunate to have a number of skilled volunteers who share their time and expertise to support carers, mentors, children and their families. At June 30, 2010 our office volunteers are:

(not pictured) Gary Richards Lisa Browne Jaimon Abraham Lauren Whitney Andrés Vergara Amanda Jane Karin Main

Alexia Lidas

Georgina Hardy (Chair), Annabel Hill Smith, Col Hamilton, Charlotte Moore, Jan Beasley, Kirsty Davies, Melinda O’Leary, Pangie Findlay, Vickianne West

Table captains at the fundraising ‘Lunch with the Girls’ held at the Lion Hotel (from front left): Pangie Findlay, Annabel Hill Smith, Melinda O’Leary, Fiona Smithson, Kirsty Davies, (from back left) Kate Kain, Vickianne West, Colleen Hamilton, Georgina Hardy, Charlotte Moore, Jan Beasley, Jo Wickes

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The children referred to us and our volunteer carers are the heart and soul of Time for Kids. Over the past 50 years, volunteer carers have cared for and supported more than 4600 children in South Australia. In the past year alone, our volunteer carers provided in excess of 60,000 volunteer hours caring for children and young people.

The enormous contribution made by Time for Kids volunteers was recently celebrated at a reception held at Government House, hosted by His Excellency Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce AC CSC RANR Governor of SA.

Our volunteers Carers and mentors

Brenda and Andy Kovaleff

Lindsay and Ros Heard with Debra and Owen Jones

Maggie Elliot and Sarah Stewart with His Excellency Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce AC CSC RANR Governor of SA

Damen Lange and Elizabeth Reed with Deb and Rod Westland

Rudi and Gayle Hermsen with Shirlene and Ken Robertson

Bron and John Cunningham with Karen and Tu Clarke

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Time for Kids is proud to be associated with the following organisations: Homelessness SA Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Eastern Anti-Poverty Forum North Eastern Anti-Poverty Forum Inner City Assistance Network Volunteering SA & NT Inc Volunteering Australia Child and Family Welfare Association of Australia (CAFWAA) SA Council of Social Services (SACOSS) Southern Volunteering (SA) Inc Bravehearts Inc Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) South Australian Government Strategic Alliance Partner Office of the Guardian for Children and Young People: Charter of Rights for children and young people in care Eastern Region Youth Network Alliance (ERYNA) Foodbank of South Australia Inc Youth Affairs Council of SA Australian Crime Prevention Council United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child

Our community network

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‘Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.’ Dr Seuss

Our Ambassadors

Our Patron

Time for Kids patron, His Excellency Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce AC CSC RANR Governor of South Australia, with volunteer carers Sarah Stewart and Maggie Elliot

Erik Thomson Robert Hill Smith Annabel Hill Smith Barbara Heine Monsignor David Cappo Michael Keelan

John Heard Josh Simons Liam Gaunt Paul Smith Bronwyn Smith Mike Smithson

Amanda Blair Jan Beasley Kingsley Hall Peter Scales Mark Woodforde Associate Professor Dr Mark Halsey

Erik Thomson Jan Beasley

Monsignor David Cappo Mark Woodforde

‘Time for Kids is not about digging into your pocket. It’s about finding a place in your heart for children that need help.’

‘You get what you give … to give a child an opportunity at life, that might otherwise be lost, must surely be the ultimate gift.’

‘Positive role models, especially male ones, can go a long way to resolving problems that as a community we sometimes think are insurmountable.’

‘I am pleased to be a

Time for Kids

Ambassador and I

encourage you to

support this great SA

organisation.’

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Time for Kids Ambassadors play a vital role in spreading the message across the community about the work of Time for Kids. Our thanks go to:

In February we were delighted to host a morning tea at Time for Kids attended by His Excellency Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce AC CSC RANR, Governor of South Australia. The Governor met with a number of Time for Kids carers, staff and Board members and heard first hand their stories about sharing time with young South Australians. The Governor was most impressed with everyone he met and generously agreed to become Patron of Time for Kids. In recognition of the tremendous contribution that our carers make to the South Australian community and to help us to celebrate our 50th anniversary, Governor Scarce recently invited Time for Kids carers and their families to a reception at Government House.

Time for Kids founder, William Scales

Our history Scales of social justice: the story behind our stories

T he Stipendiary Magistrate of the South Australian Juvenile Court was perplexed. ‘Almost without exception …’ he wrote of the children who came before his court, ‘… they are products of disrupting experience, neglect, lack of adequate supervision and direction and absence of parental affection.’ It was the 1950s and he was aware that in their loneliness, these children repeatedly absconded or turned to crime, and as a result were eventually sent to reformatories. He knew that once there, they were the children who never received visits from personal friends or relatives. He was adamant that the court’s attempt to administer justice was thwarted when social injustice had already taken a hold on so many children.

If they were to have any opportunities in life, then someone needed to promote their wellbeing and their prospects. That magistrate was William A. (Bill) Scales, who, in an act of extraordinary foresight with his wife Betty, established the Society of Sponsors (SOS) in 1960. Launched at the Adelaide Town Hall on 22 April, by Lord Mayor L.M.S. Hargrave, SOS opened for business with a list of 40 children and donations totalling £1378. As with every new venture, SOS was fraught with difficulties. Sickness and epidemics frequently swept through the children’s homes and prevented contact with sponsors. Sometimes, relationships between children and sponsors broke down, leading to disappointed sponsors and a sense of rejection for children. Indeed, in 1965 the superintendent of one home reported to the Society, ‘On the occasions that I have the pleasure of addressing a gathering of sponsors I say, Please do not ask me for a “nice little boy” as I am fresh out of angels.’ He urged sponsors to appreciate that even though they would not be offered a child with very special needs, what they did for these children was vastly more challenging than enjoying the company of a ‘nice little boy’. Notwithstanding the difficulties, superintendents of the homes wrote about this as a sacred trust and regularly reported on the difference that sponsorship made to the lives of children. They said these children were better at social interaction and communication and were more confident. Sponsors became an everyday part of their lives, even to the point of small girls using the term when playing with their dolls. In the 1960s and 70s, deinstitutionalisation

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meant that children were moved from large institutions to foster care and small cottage homes. That’s when SOS shifted its focus to children who were still in the care of their parents or other relatives. Some say this was the genesis of the organisation’s current emphasis on linking kids with sponsors to prevent trouble, rather than attempting to repair the damage after it happened. These

were, and still are, the children of parents who struggle with overwhelming social, health and economic difficulties. Sometimes they teeter on the edge of family breakdown or the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Bill Scales presided over the society for nine years until April 1969, when cancer claimed his life at 61. Betty then stepped into the role of president, where she served until her retirement in 1977. Current President, Philip Scales was then elected to fulfil the role. Philip inherited his parents’ well-honed sense of social justice. His own work as a family lawyer provided acute insight into the perils of divorce for the children of some marriages when fault needed to be proven. And his role as a criminal lawyer, and in later years as a member of the Parole Board, provided first-hand knowledge of the value of SOS as a crime prevention program. Philip remains president of the organisation to this day. He has led changes of name from ‘SOS’, to ‘SOS for Children’, announced in 1997 in the presence of the Patron, Dame Roma Mitchell, former State Governor and

Supreme Court judge – and then in 2004 to ‘Time for Kids’. It was 50 years ago, at the SOS inaugural AGM, that Bill Scales said, ‘Time and again a child appears in court who I feel only needs a sponsor to help him overcome his problems.’ That thought gave birth to a program that remains unique to this day. It enables ordinary people to make an extraordinary difference to a kid from a struggling family by tipping the scales of social justice just a little in their favour. Excerpt from ‘It’s about time: giving kids a break’ by Bunty Parsons and Di Maguire

‘Time and again a child appears in court who I feel only needs a sponsor to help him overcome his problems.’

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‘Society of Sponsors’ advertisement from 1960(right), and Time for Kids 50th year Ambassador, Erik Thomson in 2010 (below)

Our supporters

ACH Group

Adelaide Bank

Adelaide Football Club

Advertiser Sunday Mail Foundation Argo Investments

Australian Hotels Association, South Australia Bayeux Foundation

Belle Photography

Booze Brothers Staff Charitable Fund BHP Billiton

Bridgewater Mill

Channel Seven

City of Holdfast Bay

CMV Foundation

Community Benefit SA

Conservation Volunteers Australia Deerstalkers Venison & Vino Club Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Department of Transport, Energy and Infrastructure

dmg Radio

Etienne

Everglades Foundation

Families SA

Future2 Foundation

Give a Smile

Goldman Sachs JB Were Foundation Grace Clothing Charity

IGA Walkerville

Jarvis Walker

Kids and Families Foundation

Ladies Probus Club of Modbury

Lion Nathan

Minter Ellison Foundation

Minter Ellison Lawyers

No 92 Wing, RAAF Base, Edinburgh Nova Defence

One Rundle Trading

Optus

Parenting SA

Parsons Brinckerhoff

Petaluma Wines

Pindarie Wines

Port Adelaide Football Club

Rotary Club of Brownhill Creek

SA Attorney Generals Office

The Commonwealth Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) The Liquor Industry Golf Day Charity Committee SA Attorney General’s Department SA Department of Families and Communities The Wood Foundation

United Way

Variety SA, The Children’s Charity Woods Cannon Yalumba

Time for Kids relies on the generosity and commitment of a wide range of supporters. Each year, the Commonwealth and State governments, various organisations, individuals and the corporate sector provide invaluable financial and in-kind support.

Our thanks go to our 2010 supporters

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The family who inspired this statement by ‘Matthew’ was not his birth family, but the people who took him under their wing as volunteers with Time for Kids. It’s About Time is a collection of true stories illustrating the power of ordinary people, who have made a profound difference to the lives and futures of underprivileged children, by simply sharing their time with kids doing it tough — kids who need a break in more ways than one. This is a moving recount of the twists and turns that life can throw in a child’s path. It does not shy away from the grim realities of the lives of children affected by adversity right here in our own backyard. Alongside the tears there are uplifting moments, surprises and unexpected lessons that can brighten up the bleakest of days. Reviews ‘I’ve just read the book all through again: such stories of hope and resilience and practical response to need are hard to put down.’ Katharine England, Book Reviewer, The Advertiser ‘This book is a window into other lives in different worlds. It’s moving, funny, human and real.’

Amanda Blair, Media Personality and Social Justice Advocate

It’s about time: giving kids a break retails for $30, and is available from the Time for Kids office or

from Etienne Homewares at 136 Unley Rd, Unley. For postal orders, see our website at

www.timeforkids.com.au, contact our office on 8362 6311 or email [email protected]

All proceeds from the sale of It’s about time contribute directly to Time for Kids programs, and to

improving the lives of disadvantaged children in South Australia.

‘ … if I had never been offered the chance to expand my horizons when I was younger and to experience a different way of life, I wouldn’t have developed into the person I am.’ Matthew ‘Time for Kids’ kid

Our stories It’s about time: giving kids a break by Bunty Parsons and Di Maguire

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Published in 2010 to celebrate 50 years of service to South Australia.

Join us Become a volunteer carer Regularly sharing your time with a child from a struggling family can make a world of difference to a child’s life. Our volunteers are provided with training and ongoing support from the Time for Kids staff and become part of a supportive network of volunteers across South Australia.

Share some time during school holidays Whether you live in the country or the city, you can make a world of difference to a child by regularly sharing a few days during school holidays.

Assist grandparents raising grandchildren Many grandparents have fulltime care responsibilities for their grandchildren. Sharing your time on a regular basis with a grandchild enables these children to have access to opportunities they might otherwise miss out on, as well as providing the grandparents with a much needed break.

Become a Time for Kids mentor Positive role models come in all ages, shapes and sizes. Although overnight respite care may not be appropriate for you or your family, you can still make a world of difference by sharing regular mentor’s days. These take place once a week, fortnightly or monthly, and can be for a morning, afternoon or for a full day. Shared activities can include playing or watching sport, bike riding, bushwalking, cooking, going to the movies or exploring SA at places like the museum, art gallery, parks or beaches. Time for Kids staff will help you with ideas and activities.

Volunteer at the Time for Kids office Whatever your area of interest or expertise, there are a range of ways to contribute at Time for Kids. We welcome regular volunteers and people who wish to contribute their skills for one-off projects. If you have a particular skill to share please speak to us, we will have a way to put it to good use for the kids we care for.

Fundraising Events If you would like to be involved with our fundraising functions or arrange one of your own, our volunteer Fundraising Committee would love to hear from you.

Donate As community need for our program increases, so does our need for funds. We strive to match every child referred to Time for Kids with a caring volunteer family, individual or mentor as quickly as possible. To do this, we need the financial support of individuals and organisations as committed as we are to making a lifelong positive difference to children’s lives. To make a credit card donation, go to the secure GiveNow site at www.givenow.com/timeforkids. If you would prefer to arrange a direct bank transfer, please call our office on (08) 8362 6311 or email [email protected] Donations can also be mailed to: Time for Kids PO Box 932 Kent Town 5071

Bequests Leaving a bequest ensures your generosity will continue to improve the lives of children in South Australia. For advice about leaving a gift to Time for Kids in your will, please contact our office on (08)8362 6311 or email [email protected] Time for Kids staff are also available to visit your school or community group to tell them about the work we do, and about how they can become involved. If you would like us to contact you or to send you more information about any of these or your own ideas, please contact us on (08) 8362 6311 or email [email protected] You’re also welcome to visit the Time for Kids office, 72 Fullarton Road Norwood 5067, on any weekday between 9:00am – 5:00pm. Time for Kids 72 Fullarton Rd Norwood 5067 P: (08) 8362 6311 F: (08) 8362 6711 E: [email protected] W: www.timeforkids.com.au

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www.timeforkids.com.au