Family relationship services
The Attorney-General’s Department jointly funds, with the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA), the Family Relationships Services Program, which provides a range of services to help families.
The Attorney-General’s Department funds the following services:
- Family Dispute Resolution
- Counselling (jointly with FaCSIA)
- Children’s Contact Services
- Parenting Orders Program
- Family Relationship Advice Line
Two new service types will be commencing in 2008.
Post Separation Cooperative Parenting education and support services will assist separated parents in regional areas, where a high level of conflict is affecting their relationships with their children. It will help them to focus on the children’s needs, instead of on the conflict with the other parent. Post Separation Cooperative Parenting builds on the success of Building Connections, which was piloted by Interrelate Family Centres in regional NSW in 2005-06. Fourteen Post Separation Cooperative Parenting services will open in October 2008, and another fourteen are scheduled to open in October 2009.
The Supporting Children after Separation Program will assist children from separating families to deal with issues arising from the breakdown in their parents’ relationship and to participate in decisions that impact on them. The objective of this new service type is to support children within the context of their family to manage and enhance their relationship during and after family separation. It is anticipated that the selection process for community organisations to establish services will be advertised on 14 April 2008. Services are expected to open by the end of November 2008.
