Residents living at two Southern Highlands boarding homes received an early Christmas surprise recently when the State Government announced they would continue funding for their Active Linking Initiative (ALI) life skills program.
The Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care has agreed to extend funding for ALI until the end of June 2004 following a review by the department earlier this year.
Disability Services Minister Carmel Tebutt said the review found ALI was proving beneficial to people with a disability who were living in licenced boarding houses.
"It is taking them out of the potential isolation of the boarding house, and assisting them in taking up opportunities in the wider community," she said.
Southern Highlands ALI Co-ordinator Peg Ludwig said ALI workers and residents were delighted with the six month funding extension.
"It's a very positive outcome for all of us, above and beyond what we've expected," she said.
"It's fantastic the department is showing an ongoing commitment to the residents of the boarding houses to provide community activities for them."
Although the report highlighted a number of improvements that could be made to the ALI program, Ms Ludwig said workers would be "very accommodating" to improvements to the service.
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