Families ACT

19/10/2026

More than one in four Canberra children starting school are developmentally vulnerable in at least one area of development. That is the second-highest rate of any Australian jurisdiction (AEDC 2024).

That’s why prevention and early intervention are at the heart of our work. Our 2025–26 Annual Impact Report is out now. It covers a year of working alongside our members to strengthen the ACT child, youth and family services sector and advocate for children and families.

Highlights from the year:

-- Awarded the ACT Government’s CYFSP System Support Service, in consortium with the Youth Coalition of the ACT. This is the first time an ACT commissioning process has placed coordination, development and evaluation within the sector itself.
-- Hosted our second Child First Forum. 42 participants from community, government, health, education and research identified seven priority actions and established the Child First Collaborative.
-- Brought evidence to decision-makers through a Legislative Assembly briefing with ACT MLA Caitlin Tough and Professor Sharon Goldfeld AM.
-- Released the CYFSP Workforce Capability and Learning Framework with the Youth Coalition of the ACT and Spark Space.
-- Welcomed new members, growing our network to 41 organisations.

90% of stakeholders who responded to our survey rated Families ACT’s performance as the peak body as excellent or very good, up from 78% in 2025. Thank you to everyone who shared feedback. It is shaping our priorities for the year ahead.

Thank you to our members, partners and practitioners for everything you do for children and families in Canberra.

📖 Read the full report:https://static1.squarespace.com/static/63bcb546b5d0ef43c745e35b/t/6ad568d2d2e3d05359cc5186/1792370900713/For+web_Families+ACT+Impact+Report_2025-26+%283%29.pdf

30/09/2026

Families ACT is hiring! 🎉

Families ACT is looking for an Impact Hub Lead to help lead the Child, Youth and Family Support Program System Support Service - a 10-year initiative commissioned by the ACT Government and delivered through a consortium led by Families ACT and the Youth Coalition of the ACT.

We're looking for someone with strong systems thinking, stakeholder leadership and coordination skills who can bring people, ideas and systems together to support better outcomes for children, young people and families across the ACT.

📍 O’Connor, ACT | Flexible/hybrid working arrangements available
🕒 0.8 FTE
📅 Permanent
💰 $120,000–$129,000 per annum FTE ($96,000–$103,200 pro rata) + 12% superannuation

If you know someone who'd be great at bringing people and systems together for impact, please share!

Full position description and how to apply:
https://www.ethicaljobs.com.au/members/familiesact/impact-hub-lead?categories=10

24/07/2026

Families ACT is hiring! 🎉

Families ACT and the Youth Coalition of the ACT are hiring an Administration Assistant to support our shared office in O'Connor - reception, events, systems, and everything that keeps two small, values-driven organisations running well.

We're looking for someone organised, warm and proactive who can support and strengthen our administrative systems during a period of growth.

📍 O'Connor, ACT (on-site)
🕒 Full-time, 35 hours/week
📅 Fixed term to 26 February 2027
💰 SCHADS Award Level 3

If you know someone who'd be great at this, please share!

Full position description and how to apply:

Support young people and families across the ACT. Full-time, fixed-term Admin Assistant for two peak bodies—reception, events, systems. Real ownership, meaningful work, genuine impact.

15/07/2026

CYFSP and Mental Health CYF grants now open!

ACT grant rounds are now open for the Child, Youth and Family Services Program (CYFSP) and the Mental Health Child, Youth and Families Grant. They have been released as coordinated commissioning processes. Applications close 3pm, 25 August 2026, and a joint sector briefing will be held on 21 July at 1pm covering both grant streams. Organisations are encouraged to consider applying across both processes where appropriate.

Further information available at:

ACT grant rounds are now open for the  Child, Youth and Family Services Program (CYFSP)  and the  Mental Health Child, Youth and Families Grant.  They have been released as coordinated commissioning processes. Applications close  3pm, 25 August 2026 , and

25/05/2026

Findings from the most recent Parenting Research Centre survey have found high levels of parental distress across Australia. In fact, 60 per cent of Australian parents are experiencing some form of distress, with flow on effects for their children.

The PRC survey featured in this news report on ABC's AM program:

Almost 60 percent of Australian parents are experiencing psychological distress with flow on effects to their children according to the largest ever national survey of ten thousand parents.

01/05/2026

Canberra has some of the highest rates of child developmental vulnerability in the country. The latest data shows things are getting worse, not better.

Families ACT has released Child Vulnerability in the ACT: Insights and Analysis of the 2024 Australian Early Development Census, ahead of the 2026 Child First Forum on 12 and 13 May.

The findings are significant. The ACT remains the second worst performing jurisdiction in Australia for child developmental outcomes. More than 1 in 4 children starting school in 2024 were developmentally vulnerable in one or more domains. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from language backgrounds other than English, and children in disadvantaged communities continue to bear the greatest burden - but vulnerability is also rising in some of Canberra's most advantaged suburbs.

The report explores what is driving these outcomes, the national cost of late intervention (currently estimated at $22.3 billion), and the evidence behind what works. It also draws on international examples, including the UK's Sure Start program, and puts forward clear recommendations for the ACT Government and stakeholders.
The situation is serious. But with major reforms underway - including Thriving Kids, national early childhood education reforms and Phase 2 of the ACTs First 1000 Days Strategy - there is a real opportunity to change course.

Read the full report via the link below and share it with your networks. The more people who understand what the data is telling us, the stronger our collective response can be.

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/63bcb546b5d0ef43c745e35b/t/69f1983ad3f300035e29ce6b/1777440879181/Child+developmental+vulnerability+in+the+ACT+Report.pdf

20/04/2026

Every child deserves the best start - the 2024 AEDC results show us where we need to focus.

The latest Australian Early Development Census data for the ACT is out, and it gives us an important picture of how our children are tracking as they start school. While many children are thriving, too many are still experiencing developmental vulnerability. In the ACT, 28.1% of children are starting school with vulnerabilities, higher than the national rate of 23.5%, particularly in areas like communication skills, emotional maturity, and language development.

These results remind us that early support matters. Where children and families can access the right help at the right time, we see better outcomes. But the data also highlights real inequities, and the need for us to work together to make sure no child is left behind. Find the full report here -https://www.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/3051335/AEDC-2024-Results-for-the-ACT.pdf

At Families ACT, this is at the heart of our approach: strengthening what works, and acting where change is needed.

In May 2026, sector leaders and change-makers will come together at the Child First Forum to respond to these findings and drive practical solutions for children and families across the ACT.

👉 Visit our website to learn more and subscribe to our newsletter to stay across the conversation and the change. https://www.familiesact.org.au/



ACT Playgroups Association A Village for Every Child Roundabout Canberra ACT Human Rights Commission ACT Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability ACT Government

09/04/2026

Families ACT stands in solidarity with Yerrabi Yurwang and the families impacted by the pause of its Health Hub services.

This is about real children, families, and access to culturally safe care that we know works.

We can’t stay silent.

📣 Join the peaceful rally today at 3pm at the ACT Legislative Assembly
✉️ Speak up—contact your local representatives

31/03/2026

Tomorrow, on 2 April 2026, Yerrabi Yurwang's Health Hub in North Canberra will have to pause operations.

Yerrabi Yurwang is a crucial Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service serving the north of Canberra. Today they are serving 400 Aboriginal clients, including pregnant women and young children. The closure of the Hub means that these children and families have lost access to a culturally safe primary care, early intervention, and prevention service.

The evidence is clear. The ACT records some of the worst outcomes in the country for Aboriginal antenatal care, child development, and access to health checks. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people nationally face a life expectancy of 19.3 years less than non-Aboriginal people. These are not abstract numbers - they are the lived reality of children and families in our community right now.

Aboriginal community-controlled services work. They are culturally safe, community-led, and grounded in self-determination. Losing these services has intergenerational consequences.

We must act.

Here's what you can do:
📣 Attend a peaceful rally at the ACT Legislative Assembly Thursday 9 April at 3pm
✉️ Contact your local Commonwealth and ACT member to raise your concerns

03/03/2026

Read the latest 2026 update from the Families ACT team!

Families ACT’s Autumn 2026 update