The Adelaide Crows Football Club has pledged 500 tickets to children and young people in care for its AFL home games this coming season.
The pledge, through the Adelaide Crows Foundation's Crows Care Program, builds on a growing partnership between the club and the Department for Child Protection (DCP).
The tickets initiative is designed to provide greater access to children in care to the Club's home games and creating unforgettable moments for carers and their children.
Under the scheme, the Foundation will provide 25 tickets to DCP for distribution, and another 25 to non-government care providers, each home game. The club will have 11 home games this season – the first is round one against St Kilda on Sunday 16 March.
One of those to take part in the program is carer Debbie, who took four children she cares for to a Crows home game against North Melbourne.
She said the children had a ball watching their favourite team beat the Kangaroos by 11 goals.
The Malinauskas Labor Government has invested more than $580 million into the child protection and family support system since coming to government, funding a range of programs that support children and young people in care.
The commitment from the Adelaide Crows Foundation falls under a wider partnership between DCP and the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing (ORSR) to engage children and young people in contact with the child protection and family support system in sport, recognising the mental, physical and emotional wellbeing benefits that being engaged provides.
This Plan of Action was developed in consultation with DCP staff, carers, representatives of sporting clubs and associations and community organisations and responded to what children and young people have articulated they would like to participate in.
The Plan of Action strives to improve children and young people's access to sport through a range of actions including by enhancing the understanding of trauma amongst sporting organisations.
Last year the Club was nominated in the Community Service Award category of the 2024 SA Child Protection Awards, for its efforts to engage children most needing support.
As put by Katrine Hildyard
Like all young people, children in contact with the child protection and family support system deserve to be safe, loved, nurtured and afforded the best opportunities to participate in and enjoy community life.
Sport is a powerful part of community life in South Australia; it helps people know that they are not alone, that they belong and that there is a community of people there for them. Sport can be so uplifting. Watching the Crows empowers and inspires and being part of the Crows community can help improve the lives of the children and families cheering them on from the Adelaide Oval stands.
Our Government is committed to getting kids active – that includes kids who have not always had the opportunity to be involved in sport and who benefit most from being included.
I am so grateful to the Crows Foundation for their ongoing commitment to supporting children and young people. Their dedication to providing these opportunities shows how sporting organisations can make a real difference in the lives of those who most need support. Their involvement in our DCP/ORSR plan of action is life changing and is bringing to life our mantra that supporting children and young people is everybody's responsibility.
As put by Emily Bourke
Working with organisations like the Crows gives young people a way to engage in sport that they may otherwise miss out on.
This initiative demonstrates the wide-ranging benefits of turning our plan into action, partnering with the community to improve accessibility and support children in care.
As put by Adelaide Crows Foundation Chairperson Kate Thiele
The Adelaide Crows Foundation is committed to using the power of sport to make a positive impact on the lives of local children and youth.
Following the success of our partnership with the DCP over the past two years, we are proud to continue this important initiative to give children in care the opportunity to experience the joy of footy.
As put by carer Debbie
They had a ball. It was the first time they'd been to a football match. I asked them halfway through it they wanted to leave and they all said "we want to stay until the end'.
They love their sport and they got to go on a train ride and walk to the Adelaide Oval. It just makes them feel good and experience something different – and they're not just watching it on TV.
We'd go again whether we had free tickets or not now
