Part 2: Achievements and challenges–performance insights

Stronger Families and Communities Strategy

Key points

Almost 700 local projects were funded under the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy over the financial years 2000–01 to 2003–04.
Projects provided support for early childhood, parenting and relationship skills, mentoring and leadership, community capacity building and volunteering.
Almost a quarter of the projects were delivered in Indigenous communities and more than a half in rural and remote communities.
A new four-year strategy was launched in April 2004.

The Stronger Families and Communities Strategy (SFCS) aims to help build family and community capacity to deal with challenges and take advantage of opportunities that come along. Its focus on early intervention and prevention aims to help families and communities deal with issues before they become serious problems. The strategy gives communities the chance to think about local issues and what solutions they can put in place to deal with them.

Over the financial years 2000–01 to 2003–04, the strategy:

assisted more than 35 000 family members through more than 1600 networks that connect disadvantaged families more effectively with their communities
supported almost 700 services and projects, assisting at least 13 000 people through services such as home visits for at-risk and isolated families, and parenting and life skills courses for vulnerable teenage parents and Indigenous parents.

On 7 April 2004, the Prime Minister announced funding of $365.8 million over four years for a new SFCS. The new strategy will build on the achievements of the initial strategy by focusing more strongly on early childhood, linking to the National Agenda for Early Childhood and offering a swifter funding process. The funding has been allocated to four streams of activity over the next four years to 2008:

Communities for Children ($110 million): Non-government organisations will work with local stakeholders to deliver early childhood development programs and services in up to 35 disadvantaged communities.
Early Childhood–Invest to Grow ($70.5 million): Programs, resources and tools will be developed for parents, community groups and professionals working in the area of early childhood.
Local Answers ($60 million): Organisations will receive funding and support to develop a range of small-scale local initiatives, focusing on opportunities that communities can create for themselves.
Choice and Flexibility in Child Care ($125.3 million): The funding will support innovative and flexible child care arrangements, expand in-home care to help families with no other child care options and provide incentives to establish long day care in areas of high demand.

Communities for Children will use a new service delivery model, designed to help communities identify their needs and develop appropriate responses. Non-government organisations will be funded to facilitate collaborative partnerships with other relevant stakeholders across the community, develop and deliver coordinated and responsive community action plans, and undertake comprehensive evaluations. This new approach uses local knowledge to determine priorities and achieve agreed outcomes.

making a difference

Enfield Primary School Cafe (Children and Families Everywhere), Enfield, South Australia

The Enfield area has been identified as one of the most disadvantaged areas in South Australia, with high numbers of single-parent, low-income families, Indigenous and culturally diverse communities. Many families live in a 'cycle of crisis' with a range of complex issues and often experience isolation from their wider community.

Research shows that disadvantaged children and families benefit from integrated service delivery and this support is most effective when it starts at the earliest point in a child's life.

Enfield has created an environment where families can safely come together in their chosen activities or to have a coffee and a chat. It has helped create strengths within the community. From the parent support groups to community consultations, Café Enfield has become a vital support for local families. The project has been funded by the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy for three years, beginning in 2001.

The Enfield Early Learning Service will receive $200 000 over the next two years for an extension of the Café project. This funding will enable the continuation of a child development and parenting centre in Enfield that provides opportunities for young children and their families in the surrounding areas to maximise their potential.

The project will achieve its ends through the use of a central place where services can be provided and where families can get together to identify their needs and develop possible solutions. A range of early childhood and parenting programs, community activities and children's activities will also be provided.

The project will rely on volunteer participation and community consultations that respond to community need. Integrated service delivery will enable families to get complete help and access to health, education and community services.

The project has been designed to facilitate the establishment of a new model for family centres that is underpinned by integrated services and community involvement. It focuses on early intervention strategies in the areas of education, health and care for families with children from infants to 12-year-olds. It also focuses on community empowerment through the families themselves deciding on the activities and supports they need in order to sustain a positive lifestyle.

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