This overview summaries key budget measures relevant to child and family services and to the children, young people and
families supported by member organisations
10 May is Are You Safe at Home? Day. It’s an opportunity to ask someone in your life, ‘are you safe at home?’ This year, start a conversation to end family violence.
Follow the link to check out all the great resources before the day arrives.
Free new children’s clothing for children aged 0-5 years (Thread Together). Welcome to all Cardinia community, come and collect as much as you need.
There will also be a free sausage sizzle and the AV Food van in attendance. Running from 10:00am-12:00pm at the Parent Zone Hub 75 Army Road Pakenham.
Check out the attached link to flyer for the range of activities on offer. These include excursions, incursions and in-house fun. Contact details for bookings on flyer and website.
To continue providing the best support, training opportunities, and up-to-date research in our sector, The Centre need your valuable insights. They invite you to participate in their Workforce Survey, designed to understand the issues faced by workers supporting children and families as well as gathering insights into the educational background and ongoing training and professional development needs to help you in your important roles.
Homelessness Australia has released an election platform outlining 12 actions to drive down homelessness or provide the support needed so people can avoid or escape from homelessness and sustain a home. Platform includes new analysis that shows more than 120,000 people annually are trying to get homelessness help, and either being turned away or unable to get through the door. If each of these people was provided support at an average cost per client services would needs an additional $671 million.
You can join and learn more about the campaign ‘No One Turned Away’ Here
The Centre’s summary of the Report on Government Services 2025 is now available for download. The report covers:
- Child Protection
- Youth Justice
- Services for people with disability
- Housing and homelessness
- Health
- Early childhood education and care
In December 2024 Victoria Police launched their new Strategy Safe From Harm. The goals of this new strategy are for a Victorian community in which:
- everyone is safe and feels safe
- those affected by crime feel supported
- those who break the law are held to account
- police work with the Victorian community and our partners to prevent crime, reduce harm and build a better, safer Victoria.
Homelessness Australia welcomes the Federal Government’s renewed focus on addressing homelessness among Australians with disabilities, as outlined in the revised national Disability Strategy.
“The inclusion of a dedicated homelessness priority area in the revised national disability plan, and introduction of the Targeted Action Plan for 2025-2027 on Inclusive Homes and Communities is an important step to address a major problem,” said Homelessness Australia CEO Kate Colvin.
“This recognises the enormous barriers faced by people with disabilities in accessing safe and affordable housing that meets their needs.
“People with poor mental health and psychosocial disabilities often need support to sustain their housing, and a home they can afford, but neither support, nor low cost housing is available. This is why we continue to see people with psychosocial disability and other complex needs becoming trapped in homelessness or in exploitative and unsafe housing conditions.”
The Centre’s Federal Pre-Budget Submission 2025 highlights the critical need for sustained and targeted investment in the services and systems that support the most vulnerable members of our community, prioritising their safety, development and long-term wellbeing.
The current fiscal and political environment presents challenges and opportunities. Rising cost-of-living pressures, persistent social inequities, and the long-term impacts associated with natural disasters and our changing climate continue to affect families across the nation, with disproportionate impacts on those already facing disadvantage. At the same time, we recognise the Australian Government’s commitment to inclusive economic growth and social policy reform, which provides a platform to prioritise initiatives that support children and young people.
Evidence consistently demonstrates that prevention and early intervention approaches not only deliver better outcomes for individuals but also reduce the long-term economic burden on society. Strategic investment in these areas fosters stronger families, healthier communities, and a more equitable future for all Australians.