The Department of Social Services helps to support families and children through programs and services as well as benefits and payments. Further support is provided through grants and funding for organisations providing services for families. There’s help for household budgets (Family Tax Benefit), new parents (Paid Parental Leave and Dad and Partner Pay), young people leaving formal care (through Transition to Independent Living Allowance from 1 January 2014) and more.
The Department also helps to support Australians' mental health.
The rollout of the Cashless Debit Card in the Bundaberg and Hervey Bay region in Queensland has begun and will be rolled out over the next few months.
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On 13 June 2018, the Australian Government released its response to the Royal Commission, including the establishment of the National Office for Child Safety within the Department of Social Services.
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The Department has published the 2011 Review of the TILA Program and the 2015 Review of the Transition to Independent Living Allowance (TILA): An analysis of the 1 January 2014 reforms to TILA.
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On 26 March 2019, the Government announced that it will provide a $1,000, one-off Flood Education Supplement to isolated families living in certain Local Government Areas affected by the flood in North Queensland. Continue Reading
The Australian Government has committed $52.1 million to support Australians engaging with the National Redress Scheme for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse through Redress Support Services. Continue Reading
On Monday 10 December 2018, the Federal Minister for Families and Social Services, Paul Fletcher hosted the first Ministers’ Redress Scheme Governance Board (Board) meeting since the National Redress Scheme (the Scheme) commenced. Continue Reading
The Commonwealth Department of Social Services commissioned the Australian Institute of Family Studies to conduct a survey of non-parent carers (including foster and relative/kinship carers) of children living in out-of-home care. Continue Reading
