Court Breakfast
Program (CBP)
Appearing at court can be an intimidating and taxing experience for young people, and it's hard trying to focus at the best of times on an empty stomach.
By providing a nutritious breakfast, the CBP aims to ease young people's waiting experience at the court.
​According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, in 2021-22 more than 1 in 3 young people (35%) under youth justice supervision lived in low socioeconomic areas, and were about 5 times as likely to be under supervision compared with those from the higher socioeconomic areas. This over-representation of low socioeconomic cohorts means that markers of poverty can impact the client base of the court, including poor food security.
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When a young person is summoned to the Perth Children's Court, they arrive at 9am for a 10am start. However, the session list for the day is usually long, and young people do not get a specific time slot. Young people often wait all day, or have to come back another day if their case is not heard before the court finishes up at 4pm. This can result in young people waiting at the court for multiple days. For young people, the issue of food insecurity not only impacts breakfast in the morning, but the ability to be sustained throughout the day. If a young person were to leave to get lunch and their name was called, they would miss their court appointment and face further punitive consequences.
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The CBP is inspired by food relief programs delivered in low socioeconomic schools and is designed to support young people and their families to attend court and feel sustained through access to no-cost food and drink.
Rolling surveys found 49%* of young people didn't eat breakfast before court... And Hello Initiative wanted to address it.
*Hello Initiative Annual Report 2022-23
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Every week, Hello Initiative drop-off the food to the Perth Children's Court. ​
Our volunteer team deliver a range of nutritious food at the start of each week. This includes fresh fruit, juice boxes, muesli bars and banana bread to name a few... And of course a few boxes of Up & Go!
Breakfast is provided to young people and their supporting family and community members.
The court welfare volunteers hand out the breakfast items to W.A. young people in the court - as we all know, food is fuel!
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When surveyed, 90%* of young people identified that they would use the CBP service again.
*Hello Initiative Annual Report 2022-23
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Hello Initiative delivers this program in partnership with the Perth Children’s Court of Western Australia and a team of Court Welfare Volunteers.
PRAISE FOR THE PROGRAM
"Since the introduction of the CBP young people attending the Court are engaging very positively with the program.
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Young people are happier to attend court, the experience is less upsetting for many of those who are given breakfast and they are better engaged and listen to what they are told in court."
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- His Honour Judge Hylton Quail
President of the Perth Children’s Court