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Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

Main types of family relationship services

The FRSP is managed in partnership and jointly funded by the Attorney General's Department (AGD).

FaHCSIA funds community organisations to deliver early intervention services to couples and families to help them to build stronger family relationships. AGD funds community organisations to deliver post separation services to couples and families contemplating separation and/or experiencing separation and divorce. For a brief overview of the services available through both departments, see the Family Relationship Services Brochure below.


FaHCSIA funded services


AGD funded services


* Family Counselling is jointly funded by FaHCSIA and AGD. Family Counselling is also known as Family Relationship Counselling and is referred to as Family Counselling under the Family Law Act 1975.

To find a service provider near you, including Family Relationship Centre locations:

Family Counselling

Family Counselling helps couples and families to manage relationship issues arising from relationship changes, separation or divorce. Anyone can use these services, including intact, separated or extended families, and carers.

These services include counselling; therapeutic intervention; support and information and referral.

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Adolescent Mediation and Family Therapy

Adolescent Mediation and Family Therapy services are available to young people (aged 10 to 21) and their families or caregivers who want to improve their relationships and resolve conflict.

These services aim to prevent family breakdown or youth homelessness by working directly with young people and their families or caregivers to resolve conflict and improve relationships. This is done through mediation and/or family therapy.

The services include counselling; family therapy; mediation; support, and information and referral.

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Family Relationship Services for Families in Special Circumstances

Family Relationship Services for Families in Special Circumstances help individuals, couples and families to deal with crisis situations in a way that maintains dignity and encourages self-reliance. This can consist of emotional and financial assistance including individual and family counselling. These services also bring communities together through local activities and social support.

Family Support Drought Response Teams initiative

Currently funded under this program is the Family Support Drought Response Teams initiative designed specifically for individuals and families, including small business owners, who are affected by the drought.

These services include counselling; crisis support, relationship education and skills training; community development; support; and information and referral. If you live in a remote area, outreach services may also be available.

For more information, go to:
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Family Relationship Education and Skills Training

Family Relationship Education and Skills Training services assist couples and families, including those with children, to develop skills to foster positive, stable relationships with their partner or family. Service providers may run groups or courses for a broad audience or tailor programs for certain individuals, such as retirees or stepfamilies.

These services have an additional emphasis on access to home education resources such as the Keys to Living Together series, as well as assisting couples to address relationship issues early, before they become a problem.

These services include family relationship education (including pre-marriage education); family relationship skills training; support, and information and referral.

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Family Relationship Services for Carers

Family Relationship Services for Carers (FRSC) is available to family members who are considering the future care of their family member with disability.

The service helps carers to:
The services include counselling (such as family therapy); mediation; support; and information and referral.

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Family Relationship Services for Humanitarian Entrants

Family Relationship Services for Humanitarian Entrants are designed specifically for families who have entered Australia under the Humanitarian Entry Program. Services are open to adults, young people, parents and their children.

These services aim to address the needs of each family member and provide information about life in Australia, including customs, laws and the role expectations of males and females to help families to adjust to Australia's culture.

These services include community development; relationship education and skills training; counselling (includes family therapy); support; and information and referral.

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Men and Family Relationship Services

Men and Family Relationship Services provide a broad range of assistance to men and their families. These services help men to develop and maintain strong family relationships, or deal with conflict or separation.

All family members including partners, ex-partners, children, stepchildren, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents can use these services.

These services include family relationship counselling; relationship education and skills training for men; community development and community education activities; support; and information and referral.

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Mensline Australia - 1300 789 978

Mensline Australia is a national, 24 hour, seven days a week telephone support service available for the cost of a local call. Mensline Australia is dedicated to helping men and their families to deal with their family relationship issues.

These services provide professional, anonymous and confidential short-term counselling over the telephone and makes referrals to men's services and support programs in local areas. Additional support is available through the Mensline Call-back service and via the Mensline Australia website .

Services include telephone counselling, information and referral services.

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Specialised Family Violence Services

Using a whole-of-family approach, Specialised Family Violence Services support individuals, couples, families, young people and children who have experienced or witnessed family violence, this includes helping those who use violent behaviour to change.

These services consider the individual needs of each family member and provide assistance through referral to complementary services.

These services include counselling; behaviour change groups; support; and information and referral.

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Family Relationship Centres

The Family Relationship Centres are a first port of call for families. Through information and referral, the centres help families strengthen relationships and deal with relationship difficulties.

The centres can provide families experiencing separation with information, advice and dispute resolution services to help them to reach agreement on parenting arrangements without going to court.

The centres can also refer individuals, couples and families to a range of other helpful services to enhance family relationships.

For more information, see the Family Relationship Centres brochure.

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Family Relationship Advice Line - 1800 050 321

The Family Relationship Advice Line is a national telephone service providing free information, advice and referral to assist people affected by family relationship or separation issues. Where appropriate, family dispute resolution may also be provided.

The Advice Line is available from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm on Saturday (local time), except on national public holidays.
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Family Relationships Online

The Family Relationships Online website provides individuals and families with information about family relationship issues, ranging from building better relationships to dispute resolution.

The website also provides information on a range of family relationship services available across Australia that can help families with relationship issues, including helping separated parents with their parenting arrangements for children.
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Children's Contact Services

Children's Contact Services help children from separated families to establish or maintain a relationship with the parent they do not live with.

When families separate and the transfer of children from one parent to another is a problem, a Children's Contact Service provides a neutral venue for safe changeovers. Any separated families can use a Children's Contact Service, whether or not the parents have ever been married or lived with each other.

Where necessary, or as directed by a court order, these services can supervise the time children spend with a parent or other family members. The supervision is neutral as the focus is on the child and not on the dispute that parents or other family members may have.

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Parenting Orders Program

The Parenting Orders Program assists separating families in high conflict over parenting arrangements.

These services use a variety of child-focused and child-inclusive interventions to respond more effectively and flexibly to families' needs and work where possible with all members of the family.

The program helps parents focus on their children's needs and uses education, counselling, mediation and access to children's contact services as appropriate to each case. High conflict families may be referred by the courts to these services, giving separated parents an alternative to taking their disputes back to court.

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Family Dispute Resolution

Family dispute resolution is the legal name for services such as mediation and conciliation that help people affected by separation and divorce to sort out their disputes with each other.

Family Dispute Resolution can help separated parents to sort out dispute issues without going to court. Resolving differences outside of court saves time, money and a whole lot of stress.

Changes to Australia's family law system introduced since July 2006, means that individuals wanting to apply to the court for a parenting order (where they have not previously applied before 1 July 2007) must first attend family dispute resolution, and obtain a certificate from a registered family dispute resolution provider confirming an attempt at family dispute resolution was made.

From 1 July 2008, this requirement will apply to all applications, including applications seeking changes to an existing parenting order.

There are some exceptions to this requirement, such as cases involving family violence or child abuse.

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Regional Family Dispute Resolution

Regional Family Dispute Resolution is designed to meet the particular needs of regional communities, providing a range of services to help separating families resolve disputes and reach agreement on parenting arrangements, and finances and property.

All Regional Family Dispute Resolution services are registered family dispute resolution providers. In addition to dispute resolution such as facilitation, mediation, conciliation and negotiation, these services may also provide education, information and counselling.

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Post Separation Cooperative Parenting

Post Separation Cooperative Parenting services assist separated parents in conflict to work cooperatively over parenting arrangements.

These services are located in regional areas and provide education, counselling, individual support and access to children's contact services as appropriate to each case.

High conflict families may be referred by the courts to these services.

Services start in October 2008 and July 2009.

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Supporting Children After Separation

These services help children from separating families to deal with issues arising from the breakdown in their parent's relationship and to participate in decisions that impact on them.

These services support children within the context of their family to manage and enhance their relationships during and after separation.

Services start in November 2008.

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