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The Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) funds free, voluntary services across NSW that support children, young people and families experiencing a range of issues.
These services are delivered by not-for-profit or community organisations who understand their local communities and design programs and activities specifically for them. Services may include supported playgroups, parenting programs, community and neighbourhood centres, youth services and many more.
In partnership with these organisations, DCJ has designed a Common Assessment Tool (CAT), a holistic family led way of assessing family strengths and needs to help identify the support that families need to stay safely together.
On this page you will find information about:
Targeted Earlier Intervention (TEI) provides support for children, young people, families and communities.
Watch this short video to learn more about TEI and visit Spotlight on TEI to hear from people who have benefited from TEI.
To find a TEI service, go to Service Seeker and enter ‘TEI’ and your postcode in the search box.
You can also use a keywords to help your search, for example ‘TEI parenting’ or ‘TEI counselling’ plus your postcode.
To find services delivered by Aboriginal organisations include keywords such as ‘Aboriginal’ or ‘Indigenous’.
Don't know your postcode? Visit Australia Post - Find a postcode.
If you’re not sure what TEI program is best for you, or you want another kind of support, Family Connect and Support (FCS), can connect you to the right place.
FCS workers will talk with you to understand your circumstances. They will then suggest programs or support services they think will be best for you and your family and if you agree give you a referral.
If you would like to speak to someone from FCS, visit the Family Connect and Support website and type your postcode or suburb in the search bar. Don't know your postcode? Visit Australia Post – Find a postcode.
There is no formal eligibility criteria for FCS. In most cases there must be a child/young person aged 0 – 18 years in the family or household.
TEI and FCS services can provide support to:
They can offer support for a range of issues including:
The Early Intervention Common Assessment Tool (CAT) helps workers adopt a flexible and consistent approach to conducting comprehensive assessments with children, young people and families. The CAT is holistic, family led and culturally safe; and is designed to assess a family’s strengths and their current challenges.
It is made up of three resources that are designed to be used together:
Watch this animation to learn more about the Early Intervention Common Assessment Tool.
11 Mar 2025