About Us
Welcome to Family Support Network Inc.
Empowering families. Connecting communities.
Family Support Network Inc. has been a trusted part of the Lismore and Northern Rivers community for over 30 years. We are a not-for-profit, child safe organisation dedicated to supporting children, young people, parents, and caregivers through inclusive, community-based programs and services.
At the heart of Family Support Network is a vision: for all children and families to feel safe, supported, and included. We work in partnership with families to build on their strengths, help them achieve their goals, and create nurturing, stable environments where children can thrive.
Our programs include family support, parenting programs, supported playgroups, school holiday activities, and community events. We proudly deliver the NSW Department of Communities and Justice funded Community and Family Support and Intensive Family Preservation programs, reaching over 1,000 individuals each year through a mix of in centre, outreach, home-based, and community-based supports.
With a strong presence in Lismore and extended services to Nimbin, Family Support Network remains committed to walking alongside families. After the 2022 floods, we relocated Family Support Network’s premises, which will open late 2025.
Family Support Network’s team is made up of experienced, qualified, and compassionate professionals – many of whom bring lived experience – to help shape services that truly meet the needs of our community. Our core values of partnership, respect, integrity, inclusion, and equity guide everything we do.
We are here for families – to listen, to support, and to grow together.
Our Values
Respect
We uphold respect by listening with empathy, valuing every voice, understanding the needs and protecting the rights, dignity and value of children, young people and adults.
Inclusion
We embrace the diversity of cultures, identities, abilities, ages, beliefs, and lived experiences, nurturing environments where everyone feels respected, valued, and welcome.
Partnership
We work alongside families, communities, and organisations, strengthening connection, trust, and collaboration to support safety and wellbeing for all.
Integrity
We embody honesty, accountability, and care by following through on our commitments, modelling safe behaviour, and acting in the best interests of the people we support.
Equality
We demonstrate fairness by recognising different needs, proactively addressing barriers, and challenging injustice so every child, young person and family can access support, connect with their community, and thrive.
Our Vision
Thriving communities where every child and family is safe, connected, and empowered to reach their full potential.
Our Purpose & Mission
Our purpose is to empower families and connect communities through respectful, compassionate, and collaborative relationships. We
create safe, inclusive spaces, nurture strengths, and navigate challenges so that every child, young person, and family can thrive.
Core Programs
We are proudly funded by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice under the Community and Family Support program and the Intensive Family Preservation program.
Community and Family Support (CAFS)
Our organisation was founded in 1989 through what is now known as the Community and Family Support (CAFS) Program — a framework that has evolved over time but has always centred on emotional, practical, and early support for families.
The CAFS program brings together the strengths of earlier initiatives, including Targeted Earlier Intervention, Families First, Families NSW, and Child, Youth and Family Support (CYFS). These programs laid the groundwork for a more unified, flexible approach — and that consolidated vision became CAFS.
We deliver services under two key CAFS streams: Community Strengthening, which builds connections, resilience, and social participation, and Wellbeing and Safety, which offers practical and emotional support to create safe, healthy family environments.
The program supports wellbeing outcomes by enriching social connection and cultivating strong relationships. Services are informed by strong evidence that early support can significantly improve outcomes for children and families. We work in partnership with families to build on their strengths, reduce long-term risks, and create connected, resilient communities.
With a focus on strengthening and supporting children, young people, families, and communities who are experiencing or at risk of vulnerability, we are committed to developing culturally safe, responsive practices that enhance protective factors and promote long-term wellbeing.
Collaboration and service coordination are essential components of CAFS, with the program embedded within a network of dynamic early intervention supports. Each local community has different priorities and needs, so the CAFS program is flexible and locally based. These services are embedded within our programs:
- START TOGETHER – support focusing on early childhood development
- FAMILY SUPPORT – support focusing on family capacity building
- PLAY TOGETHER – supported playgroups
- LEARN TOGETHER – parenting education and workshops
- DISCOVER TOGETHER – school holiday activities
- COMMUNITY – community and social events
Intensive Family Preservation - IFP
Family Support Network has been walking alongside families through the Intensive Family Preservation (IFP) program, since 2011, supporting them during some of their most challenging times. The IFP program prioritises the child’s best interests by keeping children within their family’s care whenever it is safe to do so. This service enhances children’s safety, promotes placement permanency, and fosters overall wellbeing. Inspired by the Homebuilders® model, the IFP program equips families with problem-solving skills to prevent crises and unnecessary out-of-home care placements.
Recent Australian research underscores the importance of minimising child placements in care, highlighting poorer outcomes for children in non-parental care, systemic issues needing early intervention, the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in care, and safety concerns within the care system.
The IFP program supports families with children aged 0-17 years at risk and works towards improving child safety and wellbeing, generally providing up to 6 months of intensive, in-home support to improve family functioning, parenting skills, and child development. The primary goal is to keep children safely at home and support family restoration and stability.
The Family Action Plan for Change (FAPFC) guides the intervention process which is developed collaboratively with the family to address child protection concerns. Our commitment to this program aligns to our ethos that children should remain with their families whenever it is safe to do so.
Extended Impact
Ingrained Foundation Grant Enables Accredited PuP Practitioner Training
In 2024, Family Support Network was honoured to receive a grant from the Ingrained Foundation, a philanthropic initiative supporting grassroots organisations across Australia. This funding enabled us to train our staff members as accredited practitioners to deliver the Parents Under Pressure (PuP) program.
The PuP program, developed by Griffith University, is an evidence-based, family-focused intervention designed to support families experiencing complex challenges such as trauma, mental health issues, substance misuse, family conflict, and financial stress. Tailored to each family’s unique needs, the program is typically delivered one-on-one in homes or community settings. It focuses on strengthening parent–child relationships, improving emotional regulation, and fostering healthier family environments.
Providing our team with the PuP Toolkit and structured training, the grant has significantly enhanced our operational capability and the quality of support we offer. Practitioners now work with greater confidence and clarity, guided by a proven framework that improves family functioning and promotes positive child development.
We are grateful to the Ingrained Foundation for their generous support, which has been pivotal in building our capacity to deliver this high-impact program and deepening our commitment to strengthening families and communities across Northern NSW.
Partnership Project - Enhancing Workforce Responses to Sexual Violence
Family Support Network are proud to partner with Women Up North Housing on the Enhancing Workforce Responses to Sexual Violence project—an initiative funded by the NSW Government’s Department of Communities and Justice through the Sexual Violence Project Fund.
Together, we’ve brought $1,254,417 into our local community, helping to strengthen frontline responses to sexual violence across Northern NSW.
This project provides education packages to workers across Northern NSW to support early intervention and improve responses to people at risk, victims and survivors of sexual violence. The training helps build skills, confidence and trauma-informed practices for those working in community services, education, health and justice. Key components of the project include:
- Development and delivery of specialist training programs
- A First Nations-specific version of the training
- Self-paced online training options to ensure accessibility
- Building safer, more informed communities
This work is not just about training—it’s about transforming how communities understand and respond to sexual violence. By equipping our local workforce with tools and knowledge, we’re helping to ensure safer, more supportive environments for everyone.
To find out more or register your interest in the training, please visit: Enhancing Workforce Responses to Sexual Violence – Women Up North Housing.
Enhancing Workforce Responses to Sexual Violence in the media: Talking sexual assault and how to respond
Reaching More Young People Through Holiday Break Funding
In 2024 and early 2025, Family Support Network proudly delivered two Holiday Break Programs with funding from the NSW Government. These grants, part of the Regional Youth Holiday Break Program, allowed us to run inclusive, engaging, and accessible activities during the Winter/Spring 2024 and Summer/Autumn 2024–25 school holidays.
The programs offered developmentally appropriate experiences in safe, welcoming environments. We worked closely with local organisations to connect with families already accessing support services and designed activities that removed common barriers to participation. Transport, meals, supervision, and access to quality venues and activities were all provided at no cost to families.
The feedback was clear: for many families, especially single parents with multiple children, these opportunities are normally out of reach. Participants and parents told us the programs were not only fun, but helped boost confidence, connection, and wellbeing.
While supporting youth who are often overlooked in mainstream services, these programs created meaningful, lasting impact in our community. We’re deeply grateful to the NSW Government for recognising the importance of inclusive youth engagement in regional areas.
