In September 2016, the Department for Child Protection and Family Support (later formed into the Department of Communities during the amalgamation of several agencies) released the Building Safe and Strong Families: Earlier Intervention and Family Support (EIFS) Strategy (PDF, 6.93MB). The Strategy provides the framework for a coordinated response between Communities, other state government agencies and the community services sector, to provide earlier intervention and support for families facing complex challenges and those most at risk of involvement with the child protection system.
The Strategy also aims to respond to the over-representation of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care (OOHC), through the delivery of intensive, coordinated, culturally safe and responsive services to support vulnerable Aboriginal families to keep their children safely at home, or to support families to reunify safely with their children.
The Strategy contains four focus areas to improve outcomes for families:
- A culturally competent service system – A system that is safe and responsive to the needs of Aboriginal families.
- Diverting families from the child protection system – A system that identifies families that are vulnerable to involvement with the statutory child protection system and provides early and intensive support.
- Preventing children entering OOHC – A system that prioritises and aligns the Department’s workforce and resources to prevent the most vulnerable children from entering OOHC.
- Delivering shared outcomes through collective effort – A system that is aligned and accountable to achieving shared outcomes for vulnerable families, with a focus on Aboriginal children and families.
Commissioning of EIFS Programs 2024-2025
Communities will be seeking to purchase services for EIFS programs commencing in 2024.
For information about the upcoming procurement, including a video presentation outlining the proposed activities, timelines, procurement method and how to prepare for the Tenders, please click on the Commissioning of EIFS Programs link below.
Commissioning of EIFS Programs
EIFS suite of programs
The EIFS suite of programs provide services and supports for families with differing levels of complexity and need. The EIFS programs have been designed to complement each other and deliver a range of services for families across the spectrum of their family support needs, and within a particular geographic location.
Feedback from stakeholder consultations in 2022 and 2023 on the EIFS programs, including the co-design of a regional service model, noted that the program and stream names for the Regional Service Model could better reflect the functions of this service. In response, Communities will be renaming this program in the new contracts as part of the upcoming commissioning, and the new names will be incorporated within the EIFS program below.
The EIFS programs are outlined below:
