Brighter Futures Program - Illawarra Area :::

The Brighter Futures Program is a new initiative funded by DoCS that will provide targeted support to vulnerable children and families to prevent their problems from escalating. The Program recognises that parents already have skills and expertise when it comes to understanding what works for their families. Parents are encouraged to participate in all decisions about services provided to them. Participation is voluntary and families are able to opt out at any time.

The program is targeted at families who are expecting a child or have children up to eight years of age and are experiencing at least one vulnerability:

• Domestic violence
• Parental drug and alcohol misuse
• Parental mental health issues
• A lack of extended family or social supports
• Parents with significant learning difficulties and/or intellectual disability; and/or
• Child behaviour management problems (egg: parent / child conflict, school problems, parenting difficulties)

It is recommended that you download the State-wide Brighter Futures Program Overview, available from the DoCS website by clicking here .

CareSouth has been appointed as the Lead Agency, to manage the Brighter Futures in the Illawarra Planning area until June 2009. Our funding contract with DoCS is renewable from July 2009, subject to achieving the outcomes/outputs as outlined in the Brighter Futures Service Specifications. We will be working with up to 9 local area agency partners to provide case management support to 76 families (at any given time) enrolled in the Brighter Futures Program.

Together we will be working towards:

• Promoting healthy development in children
• Developing strong, functional and well supported families, and
• Reducing and preventing child abuse and neglect in participating families

Our Brighter Futures will incorporate home visiting, parenting programs, playgroups and accessing quality children's services through our partner agencies. Further support will be provided as parent's transition out of the program and children enter school. Our model is flexible and innovative, with capacity to meet the individual needs of diverse families while capitalising on the strengths of our partner agencies.

Click here for details on our Brighter Futures Service Model for the Illawarra.