The Family and Community Services portfolio plays a lead role in shaping and contributing to a broad range of social policy issues affecting Australian society and the well-being of Australian families, communities and individuals.
Who are we?
The portfolio comprises three autonomous agencies:
- The Department of Family and Community Services (FaCS), which provides advice to government on all policy issues within the portfolio, and manages the delivery of services to individuals, families and communities. It includes the Office for Women and the Social Security Appeals Tribunal (SSAT)
- The Australian Institute of Family Studies, which works in partnership with other agencies to research and report on social trends and influences relevant to Australian families
- Aboriginal Hostels Limited, which provides temporary accommodation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through a national network of hostels.
FaCS national office is in Canberra, with offices in each state and territory throughout Australia.
Our purpose
FaCS purpose is to improve the lives of Australians by helping to build the capacity and well-being of individuals, families and communities. We do this by developing and implementing policies, income support and assistance for families and their children, senior citizens, people with disabilities, carers, youth, women and the broader community.
In 2004–05, FaCS...
- spent a total $50.8 billion on behalf of the government to deliver income support and family payments and services to the Australian community
- delivered approximately 80 funding programs through around 15,000 service providers
| spent… | delivered… | helped… |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome 1 Families are strong $17.464 billion |
Family assistance, youth and student support, child support, child care | Families, children, young people, students |
| Outcome 2 Communities are strong $ 1.638 billion |
Housing support, community support | People who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders; people in rural and remote areas; communities across the country |
| Outcome 3 Individuals reach their potential $31.736 billion |
Labour market assistance, disability services, carer payments, concessions, age pensions | People of workforce age, people with a disability, carers, seniors |
To deliver these outcomes, FaCS worked in partnership with:
- other Australian Government departments and agencies
- state and territory governments
- local government
- businesses
- the not-for profit community sector
- peak representative organisations
- service providers
- research bodies
- families and communities.
Highlights for the year...
- Major review of the Child Support Scheme
- Implementation of 2004 Budget initiatives for families and further refinement of Family Tax Benefit administration announced in 2005 Budget
- Implementation of $461 million Carers Package
- Communities for Children initiative developed under the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy
- Introduction of child care assistance to help grandparents care for their grandchildren
- Significant contribution to development of Welfare to Work package announced in 2005–06 Budget
- Assisting victims of the Asian tsunami
- Mass media campaign and funding of projects to raise community awareness of domestic violence
- Funding of 21 new projects as part of the National Illicit Drug Strategy
- A major new role in Indigenous services.