Information and guidance for funded organisations that provide services to children, young people and families.
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Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) (Child Wellbeing)
Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) (Child Wellbeing) is a Commonwealth Government subsidy that reduces the cost of child care being a barrier to children ‘at risk’ from either entering or remaining engaged with child care.
Many parents and carers you work with may be eligible for ACCS (Child Wellbeing). This includes parents and carers caring for children who require care and protection under the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005, as well as vulnerable children who are in receipt of voluntary services or residing in informal kinship care arrangements.
Further Information
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Child Protection Manual
The Child Protection Manual is the primary point of reference for child protection practitioners and managers employed by the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing regarding statutory child protection policy, procedures and supporting advice. It also contains protocols, practice resources and tools, and links to materials external to the manual that are relevant to child protection practice.
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Children, Youth and Families - Providers
For information about youth justice and youth services as well as child safety and family services visit Children, youth & families on Providers.
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Cultural Plan Brokerage Funding Guidelines
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Early Help Family Services
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Leaving care
Leaving Care has a range of services and supports to assist young people, aged 16 to 21 years of age, to transition from care services to independence.
The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing funds providers to deliver programs to young people leaving care including: Better Futures and Home Stretch. These programs rolled out state wide from November 2019.
Better Futures was previously referred to as Leaving care, post care support, information and referral, mentoring, brokerage, Aboriginal leaving care and Springboard.
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Leaving care: Better futures
Better Futures supports care leavers by engaging with young people and their support networks, including case managers and care teams, early in their transition from care.
Better Futures supports the young person to have an active voice in their transition planning, and provides individualised supports across a range of life areas including: health and wellbeing, housing and living skills, education, employment, and community and cultural connections.
Better Futures includes: case work support, Information and advice and flexible funding.
To be eligible for Better Futures, a young person must be 15 and 9 months, be in care services (out-of-home care) on a Care by Secretary Order, a Long-Term Care Order or a Family Reunification Order. All eligible young people are referred by their case manager to their local Better Futures provider.
Young people aged 18 years and 21 are eligible for post-care support through Better Futures.
Support available through the Better Futures program is provided based on if the young person is in care or post care.
Further information -
Leaving care: Home stretch
Home Stretch provides young people in care with a more gradual and supported transition to independent living. Through Home Stretch, young people, and their kinship and foster carers will have the option of the young person remaining with their carer up to the age of 21 years, supported by an allowance.
Young people leaving residential care will be eligible for an allowance to support them with their housing costs up to 21 years of age.
Home Stretch includes case work support and flexible funding delivered by the Better Futures worker, to facilitate the young person’s access to: health and wellbeing, housing and living skills, education, employment, and community and cultural connections and mentoring.
Further information
For more information and resources on Leaving Care visit Providers DFFH <providers.dffh.vic.gov.au/leaving-care> and Services DFFH <services.dffh.vic.gov.au/leaving-care>. -
Leaving care: Lead tenant program requirements
Lead tenant is an out-of-home care placement option providing medium-term accommodation and support to young people aged 16-18 years, who have been placed away from the care of their families by Child Protection.
Lead tenant programs provide a safe and semi-independent living environment in which young people are supported by one or two approved adult volunteer lead tenant/s, who provide day-to-day guidance and mature role modelling, supported by professional staff. The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing funds Community service organisations (CSOs) to provide lead tenant programs.
The Program requirements for lead tenant services in Victoria outline the minimum practice requirements for lead tenant programs for CSO staff, to ensure a consistent approach to high quality service delivery.
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Parenting and family support
For further information on Family Service and Supported Playgroups, visit https://providers.dffh.vic.gov.au/parenting-and-family-support.
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Out-of-home care: Authorising carers
From 8 September 2018 accredited foster and prospective permanent carers can be authorised to make specified decisions for children in their care using a standard instrument of authorisation (standard authorisation). The standard authorisation must be signed by the person in charge of an out-of-home care service, usually the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or equivalent.
The standard authorisation is specific to the carer and relevant to each child who comes into their care. It does not need to be reissued with each placement or if a new protection order is issued and does not require child protection approval, as opposed to the existing child specific model.
It is designed to be appropriate to children subject to an interim accommodation order or a protection order conferring parental responsibility to the Secretary, including family reunification orders. It may be provided to the carer at accreditation, first placement, or to existing carers.
The specified issues include:- routine medical and dental care (including child immunisations)
- education related activities within Victoria
- photographs in relation to school or other educational, sporting or community activity
- overnights stays with friends or siblings (where appropriate)
- haircuts to maintain an existing style or healthy condition.
Further information
- Child Protection manual – authorising carers
- Letter templates, guidelines and an information sheet for carers are available in the 'other resources' section in My Agency.
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Out-of-home care: Care services
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Out-of-home care: Residential care services
Residential care services provide 24 hour care in staffed residential settings for children and young people who are unable to live at home with their family because of a significant risk of harm or abuse.
The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing funds Community service organisations to provide residential care services.
The program requirements for Out of home care services outline the minimum practice requirements for residential care services for Community service organisations staff to ensure a consistent approach to high quality services delivery.
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Out-of-home care: First supports
First Supports are provided by community service organisations and Aboriginal community-controlled organisations to statutory kinship placements expected to last three months or longer.
Child Protection makes a referral to First Supports who will complete the Kinship care comprehensive Part B assessment, provide an average of $1,000 of brokerage and access to up to 110 hours family services support.
The First Supports program guidelines provide further information about First Supports.
Further information
- First Supports program guidelines
- Appendix A - First supports providers
- Appendix B - First supports brokerage guide
- Appendix C - First supports closure summary
- Appendix D - First supports brokerage acquittal
- Information for kinship carers – First Supports provider pro forma
- Kinship care comprehensive Part B assessment
- Kinship care assessment guidance
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Out-of-home care: Home based care program requirements
Home-based care is provided by approved carers in their own home to children and young people who are unable to live at home with their family because of a significant risk of harm or abuse.
The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing funds Community service organisations to manage home-based care programs.
The Program requirements for home-based care in Victoria outline the minimum practice necessary to ensure a consistent approach to high quality services delivery.
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Out-of-home care: Targeted care packages
Targeted care packages (TCP) were introduced by the Victorian Government in 2015 to enable a child or young person's transition from residential care to an alternative living arrangement. TCPs enable appropriate supports to be developed to prevent the entry of a child or your person to residential care.
The TCP program manual outlines the operational processes and decision-making points for the development and implementation of targeted care packages (packages) for children and young people in Victoria.
The TCP guidelines provide information for departmental staff and service providers involved in the development, assessment, approval and implementation of TCPs.
Key department contacts - Targeted Care Packages coordinators- North Division targetedcarepackagesnorth@dffh.vic.gov.au
- South Division targetedcarepackagessouth@dffh.vic.gov.au
- East Division targetedcarepackageseast@dffh.vic.gov.au
- West Division targetedcarepackageswest@dffh.vic.gov.au
Forms
- TCP Referral
- TCP New Proposal
- TCP Funding Schedule (2023-24 Financial Year)
- TCP Variation Request and Approval
- TCP Review Proposal
Guides
Frequently asked questions
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Statement of Recognition