Community and Family Support

The Community and Family Support program (CAFS) links families and young people facing difficult circumstances with free, community-based services.

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For urgent help

If you are in an emergency, or someone is at immediate risk, call Triple Zero (000) or TTY (106).

If you or someone you know is struggling, free and confidential support is available any time of day:

How the CAFS program works

The Community and Family Support (CAFS) program links families and young people with community-based services. These free services offer information, support and social connection to help families facing difficult circumstances.

They include Aboriginal-led supports that build on the strengths of Aboriginal families and communities. Families and young people receive culturally safe support to address their needs and build on their strengths.

Find out more about the types of issues we can assist with and see how we've helped other people.

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1:33

Connecting Through Culture

This video showcases Gudjagang Ngara li-dhi a provider of culturally informed early support services on Darkinyung country.

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Video transcript

Connecting Through Culture

Length

1:32

Summary

This video showcases Gudjagang Ngara li-dhi a provider of culturally informed early support services on Darkinyung country. GNL, offer services and support to children, young people, and families in their community fostering a sense of belonging and pride and helping them stay connected to culture and community.

Transcript

[On-screen text: Connecting Through Culture]

Athol Boney: Being an Aboriginal person. It’s hard growing up. You feel sometimes almost how peoples feel segregated and left out of certain things in community.

[On-screen text: Athol Boney, Aboriginal Safe Spaces Worker Youth and Family Domestic Violence Worker (FDV)]

[On-screen text: Simone Hudson, Chief Executive Officer (CEO)]

Simone Hudson: The earlier we get in, you know, and support our families, our children and our young people, the more you see them thriving. Culture is really, really important. Culture defines who we are. We weave culture through everything we do. Culture has, you know, the ability to connect, it has you know, a sense of belonging. It’s got pride. We’re able to celebrate who we are.

Josef Graf: We have an art group, a basketball program, boys group, a didge group, and a dance group.

[On-screen text: Josef Graf, Aboriginal Cultural Therapy Worker]

And I think we use those programs to get the kids here, encouragement to keep them involved in community. It gives them that connection. If it’s not meeting other, socialising with other young people, getting them involved in community.

Alicia Bragg: And that so we have a community response, not just a service response. So, 9 to 5 we’re here, but for the rest of the time our community takes that support space.

[On-screen text: Alicia Bragg, Aboriginal Family Safety Worker Family and Domestic Violence Specialist (FDVS)]

Athol: To be able to strengthen our young people and give them confidence and to be proud of who they are and the colour of their skin, and also the blood that runs through their body.

[On-screen text: GNL receives early intervention funding from NSW Department of Communities and Justice]

[End transcript]

How to find support

Find out what kind of support is available through CAFS and how to access support for you, your family, or someone you know.

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Family Connect and Support

Use this tool to contact your local FCS provider to talk about what support is available.

Program resources for service providers

If you're a service provider looking for program resources, visit the Department of Communities and Justice's CAFS program page.

CAFS resources

The Early Intervention Common Assessment Tool (CAT) is used to find out what services would be helpful to young people, families and children. Find out more about how it's used and download the template. The template is available in multiple languages.

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