What is Child FIRST?
Child FIRST is the Child & Family Information, Referral and Support Team.
The aim of Child FIRST is to support the safety, wellbeing and health of children, young people and their families.
Being a parent is the most important job and sometimes the most difficult.
We believe that every child and family should have the chance to reach their full potential.
Child FIRST:
- Provides information, referral and support to families, professionals and community members
- Provides a central entry point to a range of services and information to suit families’ needs
- Works in partnership with families, local agencies and the community
- Supports children and parents to identify goals and respond to their own unique needs and challenges
- Provides services free of charge
Click here to view the Child FIRST Operational Manual
Child FIRST can assist by providing access to:
1. FAMILY SERVICES:
- Provide support to promote better outcomes for families
- Work with families to achieve their goals Promote healthy family relationships
- Provide parenting education and resources
- Provide services in families’ home or in local communities
- Link families with specialist services
2. INFORMATION AND LINKS TO SERVICES:
- Provide access to a range of parenting information and resources
- Assist families to link with other services and agencies in their local community
3. SUPPORT FOR INDIGENOUS FAMILIES:
Child FIRST provides specific assistance to support local Indigenous families to link to the services they need. The North Central Victorian Family Services Alliance acknowledges the traditional owners of the land (past and present) in which we provide services to families.
Who Can Use this Service?
Families with children between the ages of 0-17 years can use Child FIRST.
Families who reside, or are planning to reside, in the Local Governmen areas of:
- Campaspe
- City of Greater Bendigo
- Central Goldfields
- Loddon
- Macedon Ranges
- Mt Alexander
Contacting Child FIRST
Families, service providers and community members can contact
Child FIRST on
1800 260 338
or
03 5440 1147
9am to 5pm
Monday to Friday
Email: childfirst@stlukes.org.au
Child FIRST is located at the
St Luke’s office
175 Hargreaves St Bendigo
Anyone can contact Child FIRST, including families, workers and community agencies
About the Family Service Alliance
Child FIRST is operated by St Luke’s on behalf of the North Central Victorian Family Services Alliance (NCVFSA). The Alliance of services work to improve the safety, wellbeing and health of children, young people and their families.
The NCVFSA includes the following agencies