A request for proposal from community service providers is now open for the delivery of statutory and non-statutory services to children, young people, families and carers in the ACT.
The tender will establish a panel of providers to deliver a range of culturally safe services for children, young people, families and carers – including services for sustaining families, kinship care, foster care, after care and targeted supports (alternate care, supported contact and transport arrangements).
“We are looking beyond the statutory care system to provide more prevention and early support, strengthening families and helping more children and young people remain safe at home,” said Minister for Families and Community Services, Rachel Stephen-Smith.
“This new approach will help transform how we work with the community sector to achieve better outcomes for children and families.
“Together, we will work to reshape the child protection and out of home care system and workforce.”
This is a critical step in the delivery of the new service system and was developed in consultation with more than 200 experts across the community and government along with people with lived experience as part of the ACT Government’s reform of child and family services.
The new service system will deliver diverse and inclusive services to children, young people, families and carers, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and LGBTIQA+ people.
Aboriginal Controlled Community Organisations are encouraged to make submissions through the tender process to ensure the ACT Government can deliver culturally safe and appropriate services to children, young people, families and carers.
“We are committed to transferring support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people and families using these services to Aboriginal Controlled Community Organisations,” said Minister Stephen-Smith.
“We acknowledge both the significant value these organisations bring to our community and the changes required to address the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in care.
“This procurement process has been designed to enable a flexible approach to the expansion of Aboriginal community controlled services over time, in addition to requiring mainstream organisations to be open to transitioning services to community control.”
Establishing the new service system is a key enabler in delivering the objectives of Next Steps for Our Kids – the ACT’s strategy to strengthen families and keep children and young people safe.
Information about the tender is available on Tenders ACT website.
