Today we bring to you our first eBulletin for the new financial year. It doesn’t have quite the same sense of possibility and hope that the new calendar year delivers, but there is certainly a sense of relief that loose financial ends have been mostly tied up.

Sadly, however, the end of June 2026 marked the official closure of the much loved and valued Family Law Pathways Network (FLPN), which was funded through the Attorney-General’s Department. As noted in an earlier edition of the eBulletin, the announcement that government would no longer fund FLPN after 30 June 2026 came as a great shock to the sector – not least, because its value and its potential were so clearly articulated in the Metcalfe Report. That is, the report of the independent review of family law services released in 2024. That report identified FLPN as a key mechanism for building collaboration across the family law system, delivering significant benefit for relatively modest investment.

I take this opportunity to acknowledge the tremendous work and commitment of the FLPN network, which enabled a more connected and collaborative family law system, in turn improving the navigation experience for families at a challenging time in their lives.

This week registrations opened for FRSA’s annual Strategic Leadership Forum, which will be held in Canberra on 16 and 17 September (see more below). This is a member-only event, designed for CEOs and senior leaders.

We also have a couple of other Member events coming up. First, an online member meeting on the Department of Social Services consultation on relational contracting foundational documents. This will be held next Tuesday 7 July. Then, on 14 July we are hosting a webinar – Transitioning to ACCOs – insights from CEO of SNAICC, Catherine Liddle. Both of these are Member-only events. So, if you are an FRSA Member and have not seen the invitation, please do reach out to the office (admin@frsa.org.au) and we’ll send you the registration link.

My best wishes to all for a happy, healthy and productive 2026-27!

Kind regards,
Jackie Brady
FRSA Executive Director

Registrations for the FRSA Strategic Leadership Forum 2026 are OPEN!

We look forward to welcoming FRSA member CEOs and senior leaders to Canberra for the Strategic Leadership Forum on 16 and 17 September 2026. The program will be thought-provoking and engaging, giving delegates access to high-profile speakers and key government figures on Day 1 through an information presentation and exchange format at the National Portrait Gallery. On Day 2 we will be joined by Minister of Social Services the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP at the breakfast event at the Theatrette in Parliament House, before delegates walk the corridors of Parliament House for meetings with members of parliament.

Access to the event details including the event program, speaker information and accommodation will be available on the FRSA Members Only Event page.

Please contact events@frsa.org.au for the password to the FRSA Member’s Only Event page.

Delivering communities of practice (CoPs) is now firmly embedded in FRSA’s workplan. This was our fourth year facilitating community of practice groups for programs funded under the Department of Social Services Families and Children’s Activity. We were delighted to extend this offering to programs funded under the Attorney-General’s Department Family Relationships Services Program in 2025-26.

Reflecting on the year that has just passed, Lisa Curtis CoPs Project Officer for DSS-funded programs said “as always, we had some really rich and engaging discussions. I think this year, with so much reform happening, it’s been a trusted space for CoP participants to come together and really focus on what matters – client outcomes and community wellbeing – amidst the uncertainty”.

Lisa facilitates five CoP groups:

• Communities for Children Facilitating Partners CoP
• Child and Parenting Support CoP
• Family Mental Health Support Services CoP
• Family and Relationship Services CoP
• Specialised Family Violence Services CoP.

FRSA’s Family Law CoPs Project Officer, Rhys Jaconley, started delivering CoPs for the family law programs in November 2025. With three rounds of CoP discussions for seven CoP groups under his belt, Rhys observed that by the end of the third round “it was clear that most of the groups had arrived at a sense of identity and collectively held purpose”. Rhys went on to say, “I’ve loved being involved in this peer-to-peer learning. It’s an opportunity to share different approaches to the same challenges and expand the practice and policy toolkit”.

Rhys facilitates seven CoP groups:

• Family Relationship Centre CoP
• Family Dispute resolution CoP
• Regional Family Dispute resolution CoP
• Family Law Counselling CoP
• Supporting Children After Separation CoP
• Parenting Orders Program CoP
• Children’s Contact Services CoP.

FRSA will continue to run the CoPs in 2026-27 and there are a few spots available for new participants. If you are a program manager or senior practitioner from an FRSA Member organisation and you deliver one of the programs listed above, please get in touch:

• Lisa Curtis (DSS programs) – projects@frsa.org.au
• Rhys Jaconley (AGD programs) – flprojects@frsa.org

The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) has released new resources for child and family services to support collecting evidence and strengthening practice. Many of FRSA’s members have been involved at different stages in the development of these resources, including most recently at an FRSA Pre-Conference workshop in May 2026 where the AIFS’ Evidence and Evaluation Support team guided participants in the art of embedding practice improvement and monitoring, evaluation and learning, using the freshly released resources.

Evidence-informed practice is not just about choosing the right program or collecting the right data. It is about building a culture of curiosity, reflection and learning — one where teams can ask: What are we trying to achieve? What evidence are we using? What are we learning? How can we keep strengthening practice for children, families and communities?

The two tools developed by AIFS will help organisations build learning cultures in practice:

• Evidence-Informed Practice Compass – supports services to reflect on and assess alignment with key domains of evidence informed practice.
• Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Guide – step-by-step guidance for embedding monitoring, evaluation and learning into everyday practice.

Funded by the Department of Social Services, these resources are designed to be practical, flexible and adaptable to different service settings, community needs and ways of working.

AusAlert is a new national warning system that uses the latest technology to send emergency messages to compatible mobile devices.

On Monday 27 July 2026 at 2:00pm (AEST), a test alert will be sent to all mobile devices in Australia. This includes most phones, and some smart watches and tablets. AusAlerts are not sent from a phone number, like an SMS, and therefore cannot be blocked.

During the test, devices will vibrate and play a siren-like warning sound for about 10 seconds. An AusAlert message will appear on device screens. It will clearly say it is a test.

If it is not safe (e.g. if you/a client owns a family violence ‘safe phone’) – or it will be highly disruptive – for you or a client to receive the test you will need to turn off your device or enable aeroplane mode. The alert will sound even if your device is on silent or ‘do not disturb’.

You can find more information about AusAlert and the national test here.

FRSA congratulates Suzanne Greenwood who has been appointed CEO of Families Australia. She commenced in the role on 22 June 2026.

Suzanne has more than two decades of senior leadership across the health, community services and for-purpose sectors. She brings deep experience working alongside members, partners and government to deliver real change for the families and communities they serve. She also brings extensive board-level experience in child and family services, early years programs, youth mental health, family and domestic violence and statutory child protection.

FRSA looks forward to working alongside Suzanne and her team.

This week, as the Australian Parliament prepared to debate gambling reform, Anglicare Australia released a Position Statement on gambling and gambling harm.

The Position Statement outlines practical reforms to reduce harm and better protect people, families and communities:

• A phased ban on gambling advertising
• Stronger regulation of online gambling, including a ban on inducements and promotions
• A national gambling regulator with stronger enforcement powers
• More funding for gambling harm support services
• National leadership on mandatory cashless gaming systems for poker machines.

The Position Statement and Anglicare Australia’s media release are available here. The Government introduced the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 to Parliament 0n 2 July.

On 26 June 2026, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Katie Kiss released A Fair and Just Future for First Peoples: Social Justice Report 2025.

The report draws on the voices of more than 1,600 First Peoples from across Australia and sets out a comprehensive roadmap for reform.

It asserts that without comprehensive rights-affirming structures and protections, the tipping point required to close the gap will remain out of reach.

The report includes a Blueprint for a fair and just future for First Peoples and 25 recommendations. Together they:

• set out a vision where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can fully and freely exercise and enjoy their human rights and where they are supported by systems that uphold self-determination, dignity and equality
• provide a pathway for governments to move beyond rhetoric, to act with integrity, and to ensure the strength, courage and determination of First Peoples is met with structural reform and genuine accountability.

You can access the report here.

The Department of Social Services (DSS) has released FAQs about the new Children and Family Support (CaFS) program, which will come into effect on 1 July 2027.

The CaFS program will replace five programs under the Families and Children Activity: Family and Relationship Services, Child and Parenting Support, Communities for Children Facilitating Partners, Family Mental Health Support Services and Specialised Family Violence Services.

You can read more about the CaFS program and download the FAQs on the DSS website.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released the latest figures for barriers and incentives to labour force participation.

In March quarter 2026:

• 1.1 million people (aged 18-75) without a (paid) job wanted a job, with 1 million available to start within 4 weeks.
• The most common reason men who wanted a job were unavailable to start within 4 weeks was ‘Long-term health condition or disability’.
• The most common reason women who wanted a job were unavailable to start within 4 weeks was ‘Caring for children’.
• 2.0 million people without a job did not want a job, with a further 2.1 million either retired or permanently unable to work.

You can find out more on the ABS website.

On 24 June 2026, the Australian Government announced the appointment of former Commonwealth Ombudsman, Mr Michael Manthorpe PSM to lead the Eighth Anniversary Review of the National Redress Scheme.

The review commenced on 1 July and will take account of issues raised in previous reviews and inquiries, including reports from the Joint Standing Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme. The voices of survivors will be paramount in the review.

The department has opened a public consultation, with submissions closing COB 31 July 2026. Information about the consultation and how you can get involved is available on DSS Engage.

The Department of Social Services’ (DSS) consultation on foundational documents for relational contracting is now well underway.

The first batch of documents that will underpin the department’s imminent shift to relational contracting for the new Children and Family Support Program (CaFS) has been released, with further documents to be released soon.

All future providers of CaFS will be on a relational contract, so we encourage those who will likely deliver CaFS come 1 July 2027 to get involved. Of course, this is an opportunity for anyone with an interest in relational contracting to have a say. Done well, relational contracting, with its focus on collaboration, flexibility and trust, will deliver better outcomes for people and communities.

Submissions are due 26 July 2026.

Find out more here.

Mercy Community recently announced the appointment of Leonie Fowke as Chief Executive Officer, commencing 6 July 2026.

Leonie brings more than 20 years of executive leadership experience across the aged care, community and health sectors, along with a strong commitment to person-centred care, compassion and service.

Most recently, she served as CEO of Not For Profit home care and NDIS provider All About Living.

FRSA congratulates Leonie on her appointment and looks forward to working together.

ac.care recently announced the appointment of Stephen Green as their next Chief Executive Officer. Steve will formally step into the role later this year on October 12.

Steve joined ac.care in 2024 and currently leads their People, Strategy and Impact portfolio. He brings extensive leadership experience across child protection, out-of-home care, youth justice, corrections and community services. 

Prior to joining ac.care, Steve held senior government roles including Director of Residential Care with the Department for Child Protection and worked alongside country communities across South Australia for many years.  

Current CEO, Shane Maddocks, will continue to lead the organisation during a planned transition period ahead of his retirement in November.

Congratulations to Steve on his new appointment we look forward to working with him in the future. Read more.

Anglicare Sydney has been recognised at the 2026 National Retirement Living Awards, taking out two awards.

The team received Marketing Excellence (Small Operator) for the “Discover a New You” campaign at Oran Park Village, alongside Future Leader of the Year (Community Leadership).

The “Discover a New You” campaign reflects Anglicare’s commitment to reshaping perceptions of retirement living — highlighting opportunity, connection and continued personal growth for residents. Congratulations to the Marketing Team for delivering a high‑impact, insight-driven campaign.

Congratulations also to Imogen Herperger, Program Manager – Senior Communities Strategic Initiatives, on her recognition as Future Leader of the Year (Community Leadership). Both Imogen’s and the Marketing Team’s achievement underscores the strength of collaboration, innovation and purpose across Anglicare’s Seniors Communities portfolio.

yourtown has released their Kids Helpline 2025 Impact Report. In 2025, Kids Helpline responded to more than 128,000 of those young people, with 71% of those occurring in the evenings or on weekends when most other services are closed.

Behind these numbers is a growing demand for urgent, complex support, including rising concerns around suicide, self-harm, abuse, and immediate safety risks.

Last year alone, Kids Helpline counsellors undertook 5,190 crisis interventions, up from 1,483 in 2018, reflecting the critical role Kids Helpline plays in protecting young people when it matters most.

Learn more about the challenges young people are facing and what’s driving this growing need in Kids Helpline’s Impact Report. Read the full report.

The Australian Institute of Families Studies and Emerging Minds have co-produced a webinar – Responding to uncertainty: A compassionate approach to practice – which will be delivered on 15 July 2026, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM (AEST).

The webinar will offer:

• an introduction to uncertainty tolerance, and how it might manifest in your work in the child and family sector
• insight into how stress and organisational conditions can influence your ability to tolerate uncertainty
• practical tips on how to apply a compassionate practice lens to yourself, your colleagues and the children and families you work with
• insight into how organisations can create psychologically safer work environment that support good practice.

In a time of reform and change this webinar is timely, and we encourage members and friends of FRSA to register.

Catholic Social Services Australia has launched the State of the Sector Survey 2026 – Mapping the National Footprint of Catholic Social Services, a national initative designed to gather detailed data on operations, challenges and contributions of Catholic social service across Australia.

This national survey will help tell the story of the sector’s impact, identify emerging challenges, and build stronger advocacy for the people and communities who need it most.

They are inviting all Catholic social service organisations to take part and help shape the future of the sector.

The survey takes approximately 60 minutes to complete and closes 26 July 2026. Click here to complete the survey.

Loneliness Awareness Week is coming up on 3-9 August 2026. Ending Loneliness Together is encouraging all Australians to ‘Make room for connection’ this Loneliness Awareness Week in everyday moments, places and relationships.

Whether it’s a workplace activity, community event, social media campaign or simply encouraging small acts of connection, there are many ways to get involved. Find out more and access the supporter toolkit

If you have any events you’d like listed on the FRSA Events and Training Calendar or job vacancies you’d like listed on the FRSA Jobs Board, email Communications Officer, Vanessa Lam at communications@frsa.org.au. Please note that posting onto the FRSA website is reserved for FRSA Members only.

If you have an news item or event that you would like to be featured in a future eBulletin please submit your announcement via the form below or email communications@frsa.org.au with the subject “FRSA eBulletin submission”.

Please note FRSA members receive priority for items posted in the eBulletin. And to keep information current, relevant and useful, submissions will not be repeated from week to week.