Text Size
About CLAN WA
History
CLAN commenced service in 1990 and was the first organisation of its type to be developed in Western Australia.
It arose out of a growing concern at the level of child abuse and family breakdown in the Canning District identified by the Social Planning group operating under the umbrella of the City of Canning. An advisory committee was formed to examine the needs of families in the area. There was a vision that a preventive Volunteer Home Visiting Service would be able to provide the support that many of the children’s families needed.
A search of family support services State, National and International was undertaken to establish what models were already being practiced. It was learned that a very similar scheme had been operating in the UK since the early 1970’s.
The first CLAN agency was established and housed in the suburb of Queens Park. Over the next eight years, five CLAN agencies were established – four in the metropolitan area and one in Mandurah – and an Association which supported and resourced the agencies.
In May 2000 CLAN Armadale, CLAN Victoria Park, CLAN Mandurah and the CLAN Association came together to form CLAN WA. In September 2000 CLAN WA was able to expand its services to include another volunteer home visiting service in Rockingham.
CLAN WA continues to improve and expand with the addition of an office in Mirrabooka in 2004.
Together with the Volunteer Home Visiting Services CLAN WA now provides a wide range of community courses for parents and has taken a lead developing innovative ways of strengthening family life, such as hosting Family Kite Festivals and Drumming Workshops.
Continuing to improve services for families CLAN WA designed a new support service. CLAN WA recognised the impact of mental illness on immediate and extended family members, friends and colleagues in the community. The new service indigo is funded by FACSIA and started working with families in the second half of 2007. The indigo project provides support to individuals and families affected by someone else's mental illness through information sessions, workshops, one-to-one support and counselling. LAN WA will strengthen family life by encouraging healthy relationships, effective parenting, support networks and community
