Family Referral Services (FRS) are intended to assist children, young people, and families who do not meet the statutory threshold for child protection intervention, but would benefit from accessing specific services to address current problems, prevent escalation, and foster a protective and nurturing environment. FRS are intended to link vulnerable children, young people in need of assistance, and their families, with the most appropriate available support services in their local areas.

FRS were piloted for 12 months from May 2010 to April 2011 and evaluated over their first nine months of operation with two types of service delivery models trialled: a telephone service and an “augmented” face-to-face service with capacity to coordinate active referrals.

UnitingCare was engaged to pilot the Western FRS, which is an augmented service with an Aboriginal focus. This service aims to address the specific support needs of Aboriginal people and develop referral pathways to services which have capacity to address these needs.

The Benevolent Society was engaged to pilot the Hunter Central Coast FRS, which is an augmented service covering the Lake Macquarie, and the Lower and Upper Hunter regions, with an intake and outreach service provided from Carrington, Muswellbrook, Watanobbi, and Rutherford.

Relationships Australia NSW was engaged to pilot the Mt Druitt FRS, a telephone-only service that covers 17 suburbs/localities within the Blacktown local government area.

Since the end of the pilot phase, FRS provision has been expanded to a further two sites: the Illawarra and New England North West. Barnardos Australia operates the Illawarra FRS, an augmented service with intake and outreach provided from Warrawong, Bowral, and Nowra. Pathfinders operates the New England North West FRS, an augmented service with an Aboriginal focus providing intake and outreach services from Tamworth, Inverell, and Moree.

More information is available in the Family Referral Services Factsheet. Those areas that don't have an FRS pilot site can find more information in this Factsheet.

Contact numbers and hours of operation

Western FRS
General public: 1300 339 016
Service providers: (02) 6885 8888
Open 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday

Mt Druitt FRS
All callers: 1300 403 373
Open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday

Hunter Central Coast FRS
All callers: 1300 006 480
Open 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday

Illawarra FRS
All callers: 1800 663 863
Open 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday

New England North West FRS
All callers: 1800 597 589
Open 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday