Family Connect and Support Program Evaluation Interim Report

The NSW Family Referral Service (FRS) was introduced as a key initiative under the Keep Them Safe1 reforms, arising from the Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Protection Services in NSW (Wood 2008).2 FRS was introduced in 2010, managed by the NSW Ministry of Health as a voluntary service. The program was rolled out state-wide across 11 Family Referral Services in April 2013. The NSW Ministry of Health commissioned an evaluation of the FRS program in 2013. The evaluation identified a range of service benefits including reports from 7 in 10 clients that FRS supported them to access services they most needed.3 A systematic review of the out-of-home care (OOHC) system in NSW by David Tune AO PSM (the Tune Review)4 was conducted in 2015. The Tune Review made some important observations about the way government relates to children and families experiencing vulnerabilities. The Family Connect and Support (FCS) program aligns with the broader direction of the NSW government to invest early in services and programs for vulnerable children, young people, and families. The Research Centre for Children and Families (RCCF) at the University of Sydney has been commissioned by the NSWDepartment of Communities and Justice (DCJ) to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the FCS program. The purpose is to understand whether the FCS program provides an effective soft entry point into the service system for vulnerable families. The purpose of the Family Connect and Support Program Evaluation is to look at the effectiveness of FCS as an entry point into the service system for vulnerable families and how their service delivery is correlated to future child and family outcomes. The evaluation explores the impact and outcomes of the program since it transitioned from FRS to FCS in January 2021. The evaluation will be key to understanding the connection between FCS intervention and support in preventing a child, young person and /or family’s issues from escalating. The focus will be on: the effectiveness of FCS’ program design, (unintended) implementation outcomes for families and Comparison of the service delivery activities to achieved family outcomes.