New services to help vulnerable Central Queensland families

The Palaszczuk Government will invest more than $4.5 million to support vulnerable families in Central Queensland. 

The funding will establish two new services: Family and Child Connect (FaCC), to help families struggling to cope to access support and Intensive Family Support (IFS), for families with more critical problems who are at risk of crisis. 

Child Safety Minister Shannon Fentiman said the services would provide vital help for struggling families.

“Parenting can be stressful and hard - if we can reach out to parents who are having trouble coping earlier, we can help prevent those families reaching crisis point,” Ms Fentiman said.

“This is about offering help early to prevent bigger problems developing, when children are at risk of harm or ending up in care. We want to give parents the skills so their families can stay together and thrive. 

“By early next year, 20 Family and Child Connect services will be set up right across the state to provide help for nearly 35,000 vulnerable families every year.”

Anyone will be able to contact FaCC for information to connect with the services they need, from police, schools and other services who have concerns about how a family is coping, through to relatives or families themselves.

The services for Central Queensland are among six FaCC/IFS services being set up across Queensland in July, with funding of $29m over three years.

Member for Rockhampton, Bill Byrne said the new services would create 15 jobs in the Central Queensland region using local organisations with the experience and knowledge to help families doing it tough.

“I’m so pleased to see UnitingCare Community will receive more than $2.7 million over three years to deliver the Rockhampton-based FaCC, which will employ nine people and service Rockhampton, Emerald and Gladstone,” he said.

“UnitingCare Community will also receive $1.8 million over three years to deliver Intensive Family Support services based in Emerald and Gladstone, which will work closely with the most vulnerable families to try and stop them reaching crisis point.”

“At times, when families are suffering relationship, children or money problems, this can lead to domestic violence,” said Member for Keppel Brittany Lauga.

“There is never an excuse for domestic violence. But we do need to find ways to address the root causes of this issue that faces so many of our communities. That is why we are giving families skills to cope with parenting, which can play a role in preventing this kind of violence.” 

Each of the services will have specialist domestic violence support facilitators.

FaCC and IFS services are part of a $406 million commitment over five years to revitalise the state’s child protection system and better support vulnerable children and their families. 

Media contact: Alex Purnell - 0437 336 232