This is a free service for Pine Rivers families with children living at home, between the age of birth to 16 years. The aim of family support is to develop trusting relationships to support and strengthen families. We do this by working  together to enhance the ability of parents to provide a safe, nurturing environment for their children.  Family Support assists families experiencing increased stress or disruption to family life due to physical or mental health issues, loneliness, isolation or a breakdown in family relationships cope with the demands of children, parenting and managing home and family life.

The Family Support team consists of:

Family Support Workers: qualified to support you in reaching your goals as a parent.

Family Support Visitors: friendly, caring volunteers selected for their personal qualities and experience of family life. Family Support Visitors receive training so that they are better able to support parents and children at times when they need it most.

Family Support Visitors are not “Home Help” but they are people who:

• listen to you and offer support and reassurance
• know about and make sense of children’s development and behaviour
• know about other services and how to use them;
• are willing to work through issues with you.

Home visits are generally for about 2 hours weekly, though this can be more or less often according to needs.  Support is offered for a 12 week period and is reviewed regularly.

Kid’s Friends Mentoring Program

This program is free for kids within our Family Support Program (aged 6-16 years). The program links volunteer ‘friends/mentors’ with kids who for various reasons lack a special adult companion to share problems, interests and some good times.  Young people on the program may have lost a parent through death or separation, may come from families who are experiencing considerable stress or may be children with other needs.  Friends are volunteers over the age of twenty. They are reliable, patient and understanding people who make a commitment to visiting a young person on a weekly basis for a minimum of 1 year. Each ‘friend / mentor’ attends a training program prior to undertaking their role. A ‘kid’ and a ‘friend’ are matched according to their personalities, interests and cultural backgrounds. Matches are agreed to and approved by the child’s parents.

A support worker supervises and supports friends in their relationships with the young people on the program.

The friendship will provide a child with a trustworthy adult to have some fun with, though will not provide a substitute parent.  The mentoring relationship may help the child develop confidence, personal skills and a more positive attitude to life. Children and sometimes their families will be invited to attend group activities as arranged from time to time by volunteers and staff.