Welcome to Australia’s Original Boys’ Town Engadine
- 17th September - Youth Activities / Life Skills Position applications close
- 28th September - School ends
- 4th October - Board meeting
- 5th October - closing date Residential Carer position vacant
- 15th October - School resumes
- 23rd October - Association of Catholic Special School Services meets
- 2nd November - Family talk (contact office for details)
- 15th November - Rotary Police Officer of Year Awards
- 19th November - NSW Ombudsman Sub-Resi forum
- 19th November - Catholic Social Service Australia (NSW) Conference
- 22nd November - Board Meeting
- 25th November - Fr Power’s Anniversary
- 30th November - Family talk (contact office for details)
- 20th December - Family Nights
At Boys’ Town, Engadine, families in crisis receive special attention so that they can remain intact and deal with difficult issues.
Many families get help through Boys’ Town’s intensive residential program that lasts for 6-12 months. Boys return home on weekends to practice the things they have learned. The main carers attend counselling sessions every two weeks and each family establishes a set of goals they wish to achieve.
Girls are welcome to attend the non residential HART program that also helps them address their issues.
As an agency Boys’ Town incorporates therapy, education and family support with an end goal of family restoration wherever possible.
The Salesian “Preventive System” lies at the heart of Boys’ Town, influencing, animating and directing all interactions with the boys and girls.
Boys’ Town is also registered as a Year 7-10 school and so children whose experience of mainstream schooling has been unsatisfactory get a chance to learn in a supportive atmosphere.
The Salesian model of Behaviour Management Intervention is inspired by the work of Don Bosco with Italian street kids and was given a local focus by Fr Tom Dunlea with Australian children.
It is built upon a platform of eight planks – presence, preventive, plan, professional, positive, personal, parental involvement and play. It is based on a fundamental belief and hope in the ability of all young people to change.
One aspect of each student’s plan is the transition back to the societal mainstream.
Included too is the provision of opportunities for individual teachers and school staff to improve behavioural management practice through professional development experiences developed by Boys’ Town.
In addition to its core Family Restoration residential program for troubled boys, Boys’ Town in currently working on a number of projects to respond to the needs of young people. Currently 200 000 Australian teenagers are not in education or work. There is an urgent need to support these young people, many of whom are in crisis.