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Premier only offers a late intervention

03 Nov, 2009 12:13 PM
HEAR the Mums, a group of mothers from StGabriel's Early Intervention Centre (Hear the Children) at Castle Hill, met with Premier Nathan Rees last week in their appeal for $200,000.

Yvonne Keane said the mothers would use the money to independently run the under-funded centre for the 12 enrolled students in 2010.

``But the premier wants us to go to businesses and get $150,000 then he may consider contributing the last quarter,'' she said.

``We don't have time to do that. If we'd been given six months or a year we could have started fund-raising but we only have a couple of weeks to secure the future of the centre.''

The NSW Minister for Education, Verity Firth, promised to accept the group's late application for funding under the Intervention Support Program.

The group will be eligible for $20,000 to $30,000, which will keep the centre open for a month.

``But we have a plan for the next six months and are determined to see this centre survive. Our children have come to love this service, which they deserve, and it's not their fault the Government does not fund early intervention for hearing loss equitably.

``So we have to fight on their behalf.''

The group has formulated a three-point plan. They will lobby The Business Review Weekly's top 100 companies and other stakeholders to sponsor one of the 12 students for $10,000.

The group will also appeal to the Prime Minister's wife, Therese Rein, to be a patron and will form a co-operative with other early-intervention centres.

``When people say you can't do something it's like a red rag to a bull.

``We're not going to give up and drop it, we're going to use the obstacles as springboards.''

If any businesses would like to support the centre in 2010, call 0414685669.

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