National Child and Family Investment Strategy
About the strategy
The National Child and Family Investment Strategy is a key activity of the Safe and Supported: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander First Action Plan 2023-2026.
The Investment Strategy focuses on priorities for funding child and family services. The Investment Strategy will focus on:
- shifting funding towards prevention and early support to reduce child abuse and neglect
- investing in Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCOs). This is to deliver an increased proportion of culturally appropriate child and family services.
The Australian Government has committed $10 million over 5 years (2022-23 to 2026-27). This is to develop the Investment Strategy and an Innovation Fund.
This work will help guide future funding decisions for the child and family sector.
Development of the Investment Strategy
We are working with SNAICC – National Voice for our Children (SNAICC) to develop the Investment Strategy. SNAICC has consulted with a wide range of stakeholders. This includes:
- state and territory governments
- Australian Government
- ACCOs
- non-Indigenous non-government organisations (NGOs)
- First Nations organisations.
Families Australia has also developed a report to complement the Investment Strategy. It found that NGOs may face challenges during the transition to ACCO-led service delivery. Both projects are underway at the same time to ensure that they meet the same goals. We anticipate completion of the Investment Strategy by early 2025.
Innovation Fund
A grant opportunity will test agreed principles of the Investment Strategy. This will be in select locations across Australia. Funding will go to a diverse range of organisations. This will improve our understanding of the supports needed for the Investment Strategy.
We expect delivery of the Innovation Fund grant to start in 2025.
An external evaluation of the Innovation Fund will be completed in 2027.
The Innovation Fund is providing $9.8 million in funding over 3 years to 10 Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) currently delivering or seeking to deliver child and family services in targeted priority locations across Australia. The media release for this grant opportunity(Opens external website).
The program is a priority action under Safe and Supported: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander First Action Plan 2023–2026 and will inform the application of the upcoming National Child and Family Investment Strategy (Investment Strategy). The Investment Strategy intends to support funding Government funding priorities towards adequate and coordinated funding of early, targeted, healing-informed culturally safe support services delivered by ACCOs.
Funded organisations are supported to trial projects that:
- test and prepare for the phased transfer of resources and funding for child and family service delivery to the ACCO sector; and
- shift service delivery focus to prevention and early supports for children and families.
Delivery organisations in target areas of the Innovation Fund are:
- Aboriginal Resource and Development Services (ARDS) Aboriginal Corporation - East Arnhem, NT
- Katherine West Health Board (KWHB) Aboriginal Corporation - Victoria River / Katherine, NT
- Urapuntja Aboriginal Corporation - Sandover – Plenty, NT
- Ngunga Group Women’s Aboriginal Corporation – Derby, WA
- Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre (KALACC) Aboriginal Corporation – Kimberley Region, WA
- Kornar Winmil Yunti (KWY) Aboriginal Corporation – Playford, SA
- Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Women’s Council (NPYWC) Aboriginal Corporation – APY Lands, SA
- Mookai Rosie-Bi-Bayan (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Corporation) – Cairns, QLD
- Palm Island Community Company (PICC) Ltd – Palm Island, QLD
- Waminda South Coast Women’s Health and Wellbeing Aboriginal Corporation – Nowra, NSW