Mission Australia

Fairfield Youth Connections (NSW)

Fairfield Youth Connections works with young people who are having problems securing stable accommodation, often due to family breakdown or other social issues.

This program assists young 15 to 21-year-olds in Sydney's south-west who are at risk or experiencing youth homelessness through intensive accommodation, holistic case management and therapeutic counselling support.

Apart from possibly being homeless, young people accessing this service may also be struggling with education, employment, mental and physical health, alcohol and other drug usage and anger management.

Located in the Fairfield Local Government Area, Youth Connections works alongside local high schools and other service providers across the south-west. Young people can also self-refer from any region.

Fairfield Youth Connections has five components:

• Education: working with local high school and youth service providers to develop capacity and resources in working effectively with homeless young people
• Early Intervention Outreach: Providing counselling support for young people and their families in the hope to provide family restoration (where appropriate) and build positive relationships
• Intensive Accommodation Support: Short-term accommodation support for up to three months for both males and females aged 15 to 18 years. This includes intensive case management and counselling support (both individual and group work)
• Post-Crisis Support: Offering ongoing counselling and case management support for young people beyond their initial crisis, or support for those transiting from intensive accommodation
• Transitional Social Housing: Accommodating semi-independent young people aged 16 to 21 in three separate properties for up to a year, while providing outreach support.

More information

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St Marys/Penrith Family Day Care (NSW)

This Western Sydney service provides high-quality childcare in the homes of educators for children aged six weeks to 12 years. While children are cared for in private homes, St Marys/Penrith Family Day Care is coordinated from a unit based at Mission Australia Centre Kingswood.

The coordination unit not only guides Family Day Care educators, but also provides developmental information for parents and referrals and support for families requiring additional support.

The Mission Australia Centre also hosts play sessions for educators and children, giving them the opportunity to socialise and learn in the company of others.

Educators can also borrow toys, books and other resources from the centre’s Family Day Care Toy and Resource Library.

St Mary’s/Penrith Family Day Care programs include:

• Home-based childcare
• Training and support for educators
• Play sessions
• A toy library
• Advice and referrals to specialist agencies.

For more information

Please download our St Marys/Penrith Family Day Care brochure below or contact us at the details below:

Mission Australia Centre Kingswood
46 Bringelly Rd, Kingswood
P: (02) 4724 3000
F: (02) 4724 3006
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Communities for Children (CfC) New South Wales

Communities for Children (CfC) Mt Druitt
CfC works with boys and girls up to 12 years and their families to improve children’s development and safety, as well as family functioning. Using early intervention and prevention strategies to facilitate positive early childhood development, the services are easily accessible to families in Mt Druitt and the surrounding suburbs.

CfC provides a range of services, including:

• Kids Gym
• Hook’d Up, a learning enrichment program for children aged six to 12
• First Connections, which promotes speech and language development
• Family Links (Community Hubs) – see below
• Child Friendly Communities Project (including Children’s Champions) – see below
• Aboriginal Families Connect (see below).

Family Links (Community Hubs)
Operating out of four local primary schools during term time, this project provides activities, support and information for local families with children aged up to 12. The aim is to build strong connections and relationships in the community to meet the needs of local families and give children the best start in life. Family Links works with families and communities in Blackett, Hebersham and Whalan.

Child-friendly Communities Project
This project aims to build relationships between various community stakeholders, business operators and the wider community to advocate for child-friendly environments and work practices by:

• Facilitating the Mt Druitt Child-friendly Communities Action Group
• Supporting local groups to advocate for improved parks and other child-friendly spaces
• Coordinating child-friendly community events
• Supporting local services to ensure their practices are child-friendly
• Advocating for children’s views to be considered in decision-making and planning.

Children’s Champions Project
Part of the Child-friendly Communities Project and funded by Housing NSW, Children’s Champions aims to engage local volunteers in four suburbs in the Mt Druitt area to work together and identify ways to make their suburb more supportive of children and families. The project brings together parents and carers, social housing residents, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people, and residents from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Aboriginal Families Connect
This project connects Aboriginal families with each other and services. It aims to create sustainable pathways into child and family services; reduce barriers to service access; increase knowledge of, trust in and likelihood of using services that increase their parenting capacity and support their children’s development.

For more information on the CfC Mt Druitt program, contact us via the details below:

CfC Mt Druitt
Building B, 28 Ayers Grove
Mt Druitt, NSW 2770
P: (02) 9832 8943 or (02) 9832 8649

Communities for Children (CfC) Miller

The Miller and surrounds initiative works with community and government sectors, developing partnerships and building on local strengths and cultural diversity to establish activities that create child-friendly, safe communities.
CfC Miller fosters learning, literacy and social skills and strengthens the health and wellbeing of local children and families.

Services are provided in Miller, Cartwright, Sadleir and Green Valley and include:

• Family support programs
• Universal parenting groups
• After-school programs 
• Child development educational programs
• School-based programs to engage the community.

For more information on the CfC program, contact us via the details below:

CfC Miller
88 Shropshire St
Miller, NSW 2168
P: (02) 9608 9579

Communities for Children (CfC) Taree, Forster and Gloucester

CfC works to ensure that Greater Taree, Forster and Gloucester communities are focused on supporting and valuing local children and their families.

Mission Australia, the CfC facilitating partner, provides services and resources to strengthen and support families with children aged up to 12 years. These include:

• Outreach literacy support
• Community connection activities
• Children and family workshops
• Targeted information sharing
• Training service providers
• Referral pathways.

Our community partner Uniting Care Burnside provides:

• Early Stork workshops
• Nutrition workshops 
• Antenatal classes and reunions
• I’m A Dad program
• Dads Supported Playgroup 
• Kids Can and Women Can groups 
• Supporting family community events
• Greater Taree City Libraries (Community Partner)
• Outreach program to schools and preschools
• Stories In The Park
• Family story writing project

Our community partner Child Care Services Taree and District provides:

• Targeted transition to school program
• Parenting programs and workshops
• Mid North Coast Autism Support group
• Health and wellbeing project 
• Fathers’ support group
• Parenting programs and workshops for fathers
• Supporting services to ensure father inclusive practices

For more information on the CfC program, contact us via the details below:

CfC Taree, Forster and Gloucester
Ground Suite 2, 1 Pulteney St
Taree, NSW 2430
P: (02) 6539 2003

Communities for Children (CfC) Victoria

Communities for Children (CfC) Greater Dandenong
The Greater Dandenong CfC program facilitates the implementation of prevention and early intervention programs for families with children up to 12 years who are at risk of disadvantage and are disconnected from local community services.
Services are delivered across the municipality, with a particular focus on the inclusion and support of vulnerable and disadvantaged children and families.

CfC Community Partners deliver services that:

• Offer opportunities for children’s learning, health, development and wellbeing
• Increase family capacity and confidence
• Help to build a socially inclusive community
• Strengthen effective and integrated service delivery.

Activities include:

• Playgroups and supported playgroups in schools and community facilities
• Men’s parenting groups for fathers of preschool and school-aged children
• Family literacy programs
• Multicultural after-school hours school-based recreation programs for children and parents
• School-hours Aboriginal cultural enhancement program for primary students
• Family support services linking parents with local activities and services
• Pathways into education for teenage parents
• Pathways into education, employment and community services for parents with dependent children.

For more information on the CfC Greater Dandenong program, contact us via the details below:

CfC Greater Dandenong
Level 3, 26-36 McCrae Street
Dandenong, VIC 3175
P: (03) 9213 2500