Who family support services work with

Family support services are helping families sooner, supporting them to provide a safe family environment for children to grow and thrive, reducing the need for child protection services.

Family and Child Connect (FaCC)

Family and Child Connect (FaCC)

Family and Child Connect are free services provided by community organisations. They help families, community members and professionals find the right services for families at the right time. Getting help early prevents families who are experiencing vulnerability needing child safety involvement.

Anyone can contact Family and Child Connect for advice and information, including parents, grandparents, other family members, young people, community members, other service providers and professionals.

The role of Family and Child Connect is to assess the needs of a family and help link them to local services that best meet their needs. Families, community members and professionals seeking assistance can all contact Family and Child Connect to discuss their concerns and the supports that are available.

Family and Child Connect services also have Domestic and Family Violence Specialists on staff to provide advice to families and community members impacted by family violence. 

Family and Child Connect enquiries received by referral source

Source: Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services.

What is being counted

  1. Data is for the year ending the reference date (12 months of data).

  2. Counts the number of enquiries received for Family and Child Connect during the reporting period.

  3. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander: A family is identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander if one or more people attached to the case are identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

  4. Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander: A family where no people attached to the case are identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander or their Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status is unknown.

Definition notes

  1. Enquiry: Any contact made to a Family and Child Connect service for advice and information and/or referral to other appropriate support services.

  2. Family and Child Connect: Family and Child Connect (FaCC) are funded non-government community-based intake and referral services that helps families to care for and protect their children at home. Family and Child Connect support vulnerable families by assessing their needs and connecting them with appropriate support services.

  3. Prescribed entities: Includes the following entities:

    • the chief executive
    • an authorised officer
    • a licensee
    • the public guardian
    • the chief executive of a department that is mainly responsible for any of the following matters:
      • adult corrective services
      • community services
      • disability services
      • education
      • housing services
      • public health
    • the chief executive of the Mater Misericordia Health Services Brisbane Ltd (ACN 096 708 922)
    • a health service chief executive within the meaning of the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011
    • the police commissioner
    • the principal of a school that is accredited, or provisionally accredited, under the Education (Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Act 2001
    • the person in charge of a student hostel
    • the chief executive of another entity, that provides a service to children or families, prescribed under a regulation.

Families commencing a Family and Child Connect service

Source: Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services.

What is being counted

  1. Data is for the year ending the reference date (12 months of data).

  2. Counts the number of cases created by Family a Child Connect services during the reporting period.

  3. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander: A family is identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander if one or more people attached to the case are identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

  4. Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander: A family where no people attached to the case are identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander or their Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status is unknown.

Definition notes

  1. Case: Family and Child Connect services create a case when:

    • processing and prioritising referrals for families with multiple or complex needs

    • assessing safety and support needs in a multi-disciplinary team environment

    • working with families including outreach for hard to reach families, through phone, mail and home visits

    • actively waiting for support and intervention services for families

    • referring to support services with informed consent.

  2. Family and Child Connect: Family and Child Connect (FaCC) are funded non-government community-based intake and referral services that helps families to care for and protect their children at home. Family and Child Connect support vulnerable families by assessing their needs and connecting them with appropriate support services.

Families commencing a Family and Child Connect service by presenting concerns

Source: Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services.

What is being counted

  1. Data is for the year ending the reference date (12 months of data).

  2. Counts the number of cases created by a Family and Child Connect service during the reporting period by presenting concern as a proportion of all cases created.

  3. A family can have more than one presenting concern.

  4. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander: A family is identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander if one or more people attached to the case are identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

  5. Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander: A family where no people attached to the case are identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander or their Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status is unknown.

Definition notes

  1. Case: Family and Child Connect services create a case when:

    • processing and prioritising referrals for families with multiple or complex needs
    • assessing safety and support needs in a multi-disciplinary team environment
    • working with families including outreach for hard to reach families, through phone, mail and home visits
    • actively waiting for support and intervention services for families
    • referring to support services with informed consent.

  2. Presenting concerns: Concerns of the family are identified in the referral and can include: 

    • child wellbeing
    • domestic and family violence
    • parenting skills
    • household relationships including conflict between parent/s and child/ren.

  3. Family and Child Connect: Family and Child Connect (FaCC) are funded non-government community-based intake and referral services that helps families to care for and protect their children at home. Family and Child Connect support vulnerable families by assessing their needs and connecting them with appropriate support services.