Children, families and young people
Information on programs such as Adoption, Child Protection, Placement and Support, Family Services, Family Violence, Sexual Assault, Youth Justice and Youth Services.
Latest News and Events
-
A vision for all young Victorians to Engage, Involve, Create
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Engage, Involve, Create aims to bring together government, local communities, business and the youth services sector to work together to ensure young people are engaged in education and/or employment, and involved in their communities.
-
Victoria’s vulnerable children: our shared responsibility
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Minister for Community Services Mary Wooldridge released Victoria’s vulnerable children: our shared responsibility on 1 May 2012.
-
Victoria’s Vulnerable Children – Our Shared Responsibility
Tuesday 01 May 2012
The Hon. Mary Wooldridge, Minister for Community Services releases Victoria’s Vulnerable Children – Our Shared Responsibility; a Directions Paper outlining the Government’s first-year initiatives, longer-term commitments and areas requiring further consideration as a result of the Protecting Victoria’s Vulnerable Children Inquiry.
-
New centre for multicultural youth meets a local need
Friday 27 April 2012A new regional Centre for Multicultural Youth opened in Morwell recently, to support the needs of young people from multicultural backgrounds.
-
Protecting Victoria’s Vulnerable Children Inquiry
Wednesday 11 April 2012The Protecting Victoria’s Vulnerable Children Inquiry was established to consider the government’s overall response to child abuse and neglect, including family support services and statutory child protection services.
Highlighting...
Become a permanent care parent
Permanent Care services provide a stable and secure family life for children who, for various reasons cannot live with their own family. Helping a child feel part of a supportive and stable family environment can be rewarding for all family members.
More on Become a permanent care parentStart here for children, families and young people
Start here for an overview of the services and information the department offers in the area of children, families and young people.
Family and early parenting support
Promoting outcomes for vulnerable children and families and providing support to parents from pregnancy to when their child is four years of age.
Child protection
Assistance specifically targeted to children and young people at risk of significant harm or where families are unable or unwilling to protect them.
Kinship, foster & other care
Information on temporary placements for children with relatives, foster parents or in residential care facilities. Includes a guide on how to become a carer.
Adoption and permanent care
Information on permanent placement of a child who cannot live with their birth family with a new family. Includes a guide on local and intercountry adoption.
Care leavers
An overview of support services for former care leavers (Forgotten Australians) and young people aged 16-21 that are leaving or have recently left an out-of-home care placement.
Family violence
Help is available for those who have experienced family violence. Family violence includes not only physical injury but direct or indirect threats, sexual assault, emotional and psychological torment, economic control, damage to property, social isolation and any behaviour which causes a person to live in fear.
Sexual assault
Sexual assault support services provide direct services for children, young people and adults who have experienced recent or past sexual assault.
Young People
Information on services, programs and initiatives to help young people be safe, grow their abilities, and become more involved in their communities.
Youth justice
The Victorian youth justice program works with young offenders aged between 10 and 20 years to ensure care, custody and supervision for young offenders through the provision of programs.
