With the imminent release of the DSS Children and Family Support Program Grant Guidelines (scheduled 18 September), the department has been busy preparing the groundwork for launch day. This has included release of the Provider Previews for organisations eligible to apply and other related documentation. There is also a lot of activity going on in locations where a Stronger People Stronger Places and/or Empowered Communities backbone organisations are situated, with Partnership Tables being convened in very short timeframes. There is a significant amount of information that existing FAC funded program holders are digesting as they prepare for the re-commissioning process.
Two key points I would like to bring to your attention:
- If you are currently funded by DSS to deliver FaC programs and are involved in this process, I would like to remind eligible members that you MUST apply to the recommission process. This is not a contract rollover process. You will need to apply through the Grant Opportunity to be considered for recommissioning.
- I encourage you to use the DSS Frequently Asked Questions as a repository of information to refer to and draw from (see more below). If you do not find the answers you are looking for, please don’t hesitate to contact your Funding Agreement Manager at FamilyWellbeing.Manager@CommunityGrants.gov.au (you may also have more direct contact details you may wish to use.) Importantly, the DSS national office is actively working to keep abreast of issues and questions that are arising and it would be useful to reinforce with your FaM the benefit of ensuring your grassroots messaging is making it through to the Canberra office.
We too are experiencing high volumes of engagement with members across a broad range of issues regarding the upcoming grant round and process. I am delighted that the Secretary of the Department of Social Services, Mr Michael Lye, and two key team members involved in this work – Jacqueline Hrast, Group Manager, Family Wellbeing; and Kath Paton, Group Manager, Community Grants Hub – will be speaking as part of the program at the upcoming Member Only FRSA Strategic Leadership Forum on 16 September 2026. We have around 80 people registered for the Strategic Leadership Forum and registrations are still open if you would like to attend.
Last week, I attended the ISPCAN International Congress that was held in Melbourne joining with around 1200 delegates who were there, including a couple of FRSA Board Directors! It was great to see and chat with FRSA members in attendance as well as meet new people working to achieve better outcomes for our children in Australia. With a particular emphasis on Child Protection, the Congress is a well-established event on the international calendar. My sincere congratulations to CEO of the Australian Childhood Foundation, Janise Mitchell, for her role in pulling together this great event. There was an amazing array of choice when it came to learning opportunities and experience and I gained a renewed appreciation of just how valuable it is to take the time to be present and engaged at these events as a delegate.
Just a reminder a few of us will be at the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) Conference next week. Robyn and I will be presenting on our FRSA Mapping Intervention Report on Wednesday. We also have an exhibition booth and hope you can pop past and say hello – Vanessa and Lisa will be there too. We are all looking forward to seeing many of our members who we know will be in attendance.
Sadly, it will be the last external event that Lisa will be attending as a member of FRSA’s staff team. Unfortunately, she will be leaving FRSA at the end of September – the 25th – and if you know and have met Lisa, you know how missed she will be. Lisa has been responsible for running the DSS Program Communities of Practice and I am actively working in the hopes that we can find someone with the appropriate skills and qualification to take on that part-time role. You can find out more about it on the FRSA Jobs Board.
It really has been a mammoth couple of weeks but before I sign off and encourage you to read the rest of the eBulletin, just a heads up for our members that we opened up the FRSA Board nomination process on 2 September. We do have two Member Elected Board Director places that we will need to fill ahead of the FRSA AGM on 25 November 2026 – and this process is in play. It should have landed with our FRSA Member delegates (via email) but if you have not seen it, please contact Heidi in our office on 02 6162 1811 or admin@frsa.org.au.
