Children, Youth and Family Services

Our purpose: We undertake planning, partnership, promotion, engagement and service delivery activities for children, young people and their families, to ensure they have the best opportunities to grow, learn and thrive in a strong and supported community, and build a strong future.

We are passionate that children, young people, families, and the broader community will have the opportunity to grow, learn and thrive, and build a strong future.

Services and activities delivered by this department include:

Maternal, Child and Family Health Service provides support to families with infants and young children from a number of centres located across the municipality. Other services include breastfeeding service, sleep and settling service, an enhanced program for vulnerable families as well as an outreach program for families unable to attend a centre based service.

Immunisation Service provides infant vaccines across the municipality and an immunisation program for secondary school students.

Youth, Family and Support Services provide programs, events and services to children, young people, their families and the wider community through Council facilities, schools, community and street-based outreach:

• Family Services support vulnerable families with children aged 0-17 years
• Generalist youth worker support for young people aged 10-25 years 
• Programs for personal growth and leadership  
• Opportunities for peer support and social interaction for children and young people aged 8-25 years 
• Programs and initiatives that support children in the middle years 
• The School Focused Youth Services (SFYS) program to selected primary and secondary schools, and 
• Assertive homelessness outreach provided to community members who are homeless, particularly those who are rough sleeping.

Early Years:

• Monash Kindergarten Central Registration and Enrolment Service (CRES) 
• Preschool Field Officers support Monash Kindergarten services to include children with additional needs 
• The CALD outreach program supports engagement of Monash children and families into kindergarten services;
• Brine Street Early Learning Centre is an early childhood education and care centre with a capacity of 67 places. The centre also offers a funded kindergarten program for three and four year olds.
• Support to not-for-profit early years services (for example, kindergarten, childcare centres, playgroups and toy libraries) operating within Monash
• Parenting support programs
• Delivery of Supported Playgroups

Social Planning and Infrastructure for Children Youth and Family Service:

• Planning and delivery of infrastructure projects that support Children, Youth and Family Services
• Service and strategic planning to respond to current and emerging community needs

Our teams

• Maternal, Child and Family Health, and Immunisation
• Early Years
• Youth, Family and Support Services
• Social Planning and Infrastructure