Membership Criteria - Community Service Organisations (CSO's)
In June 2008, Kids Under Cover made two important changes to the way it works with CSO's connected with our Bungalow Program.
In an effort to strengthen this relationship and improve communication between Kids Under Cover and CSOs, we introduced an annual membership fee of $330 and asked the CEO (or equivalent) of each organisation to sign a Bungalow Program Service Agreement.
The fee will go toward resourcing our service delivery to CSO members, government, carers and young people.
The Service Agreement contains information about the rights and responsibilities of both parties involved in the construction, and ongoing monitoring and use of a bungalow.
Download the CSO service agreement
Terms and Conditions for CSO's
- Application for CSO membership must be from a legal entity, established under either an Act of Parliament or other relevant legislative framework.
- CSO members must be:
- Approved under Section 58 of the Children & Young Persons Act (1989);
- A funded Supported Accommodation and Assistance (SAAP) Agency;
- An agency otherwise approved by the Department of Human Services to provide a community service to meet the needs of children requiring protection, care and accommodation or; Registered as a disability service provider under the Disability Act 2006.
- Bona fide. CSOs not in receipt of government funding must provide evidence of their charitable / tax exempt status together with internal policy and procedure documentation relating to organisational best practice in meeting the needs of children, young people and their families.
- CSO members must perform the following duties:
- Pay an annual membership fee to Kids Under Cover.
- Provide Kids Under Cover with a copy of their annual report each year.
- Crisis Management – should a crisis occur concerning a Kids Under Cover bungalow, its occupant/s or the carer family, CSOs will share knowledge immediately with Kids Under Cover in order to present a unified approach to addressing the situation. Kids Under Cover will reciprocate this approach should a crisis occur.
- Membership Benefits
- Eligibility to apply for a bungalow
- Eligibility to apply on behalf of a young person to the Kids Under Cover Scholarship Program
- Voting rights at the Kids Under Cover AGM
- Biannual newsletter
- Listing on Kids Under Cover website
- Listing in Kids Under Cover Annual Report (Please note: it is expected CSOs will reciprocate the acknowledgement for Kids Under Cover in their Annual Report)
Checklist for CSO's Seeking Membership with Kids Under Cover
When applying for membership, CSOs must submit all information from the following list.
- Cover letter from the CEO
- Annual Report
- Current audited Financial Statements
- Constitution or Rules
- Details of history, mission, and vision
- Statement of primary business objectives and client base
- Statement of core activities and support programs
- An outline of accommodation models if provided
- Evidence of Public Liability Insurance (amount insured and insurer's name).
- Copy of advice of registration as a disability service provider.
All information must be submitted in hard copy accompanied by the signed Service Agreement Acknowledgement addressed to:
The Program Manager
Kids Under Cover
PO Box 3038
Victoria Gardens
Richmond VIC 3121
Please note:
Payment will be returned if application for membership is unsuccessful.
Where less than 3 months remains of the financial year, the membership fee will be carried forward to the next year.
CSOs already affiliated with Kids Under Cover are not required to send any documentation listed in this section. Applications with supporting documentation are only required from CSOs wanting to become new Kids Under Cover Members.
CSOs seeking membership will need to apply to Kids Under Cover for endorsement. CSOs will be notified in writing as to the outcome of their membership application.
Please call the Program Manager on 03 9429 7444 with any queries relating to membership.
