About Community and Family Support

Program structure

CAFS is made up of 3 program activities:

1. Community Strengthening

Services that build and facilitate community cohesion, inclusion and wellbeing, and empower Aboriginal communities.

Community Strengthening services include:

• delivering community events and workshops
• advocacy and support
• education skills and training.

Community Strengthening includes neighbourhood and community centres that provide safe, welcoming and inclusive spaces. The services they provide help reduce social isolation, build and maintain social infrastructure and work with community to solve local issues.

Learn more about DCJ’s partnership with neighbourhood and community centres. 

2. Family Connect and Support (FCS)

A soft entry point to the service system for families who require support to prevent their needs escalating. FCS helps families identify their strengths and address underlying issues and needs.

FCS services include:

• holistic assessment
• case coordination
• warm referrals
• information and advice
• practical support.

To find your local FCS provider, use the Find a FCS provider tool.

3. Wellbeing and Safety 

Targeted and intensive support for children, young people and families. This includes services that strengthen protective factors and respond to risk factors that may lead to child abuse, neglect and family violence.

Wellbeing and Safety aims to help parents and caregivers provide their children and young people with a safe and nurturing home.

Wellbeing and Safety services include:

• counselling
• family capacity building
• parenting programs
• supported playgroups.

How DCJ commissions programs

DCJ uses a commissioning approach to inform decisions about programs. This means that community or not-for-profit organisations who know their local communities, are commissioned to deliver CAFS services. This is in line with DCJ’s strategic approach for delivering funded human services.

Commissioning at DCJ puts clients, communities and outcomes at the centre of human services.

This means we design, implement and manage services based on the:

• needs and aspirations of our clients and communities
• intended outcomes
• evidence of what works to achieve those outcomes.

Commissioning emphasises working together: clients, community, service providers, government and other service partners. This starts from planning and delivery of services, to monitoring and evaluation.