List of promising programs submitted for approval by AIFS Evidence and Evaluation Support

Content type
Resource sheet
Published

April 2015

Below is a list of programs that have been assessed as promising programs for the purpose of the Communities for Children Facilitating Partners 30-50% requirement.

Promising programs meet a set of criteria that reflect a minimum standard for good quality programs for families and children. These programs can only be delivered by the Community Partner organisation who had the program assessed by the AIFS.

lf you wish to know more about these programs, please contact us

Promising programs

  • Aspire (ac.care)
    Aids parents in dealing with behaviour issues and assists parents in preparing young children to integrate into playgroups, kindy and school
  • Being with Baby (Lutheran Community Care)
    Equips mothers/to-be mothers with tools/tips/knowledge on how to better care for themselves and their child
  • Bendigo Supported Playgroup (Shine Bright)
    A facilitated strengths-based playgroup that supports vulnerable families to build parenting skills, knowledge and confidence and strengthen developmental outcomes for children aged 0 to 3 years.
  • Beyond the Violence (Anglicare)
    Uses concurrent group-work programs to support the parent-child relationship following family violence
  • Boyz Biz (The Smith Family)
    Aims to improve the emotional wellbeing, physical expression and practical skills of socially disadvantaged boys (8 to 12 years old)
  • Buiding connections (Interrelate, The Smith Family NSW)
    A strengths-based parent education program that provides parents with a range of tips and strategies to help them continue to contribute positively to their child/rens’ wellbeing throughout separation. 
  • CARE Program (BoysTown)
    A community response targeting primary school aged children who are presenting with emotional and/or behavioral issues
  • Caring Dads (Baptcare Tas) 
    A behaviour change program that supports fathers in their parent-child relationship following a history of family violence.
  • Circus Gig (Relationships Australia South Australia)
    Provides enhanced play and learning experiences for children aged 8 to 12 years old, creating an environment that supports them to reach their full potential
  • Community wellbeing program (Berry Street)
    Provides children with learning opportunities through literacy and numeracy support, and provides support to parents
  • Connect and Grow (Playgroup Queensland)
    A facilitated playgroup that aims to improve the health, wellbeing and development of children aged birth to 5 years and build parenting capacity
  • Dad's Business (Centacare)
    Aims to improve the wellbeing of fathers with children aged 0 – 12 years and their families
  • Do You Know the Signs? (True Relationships and Reproductive Health)
    Provides information about child sexual development to childcare workers and parents.
  • Early Learning Years (Elizabeth Community Connections)
    Provides opportunities for parents/caregivers to actively engage with their child, and building stronger child/parent relationships
  • Fairfield Refugee Nutrition Project (Promoting Healthy Outcomes for Refugees) 
    An eight-week program that aims to improve the physical, mental and psychosocial health and wellbeing of refugee children aged 0-12
  • Family Fun and Learning (Wanslea)
    A supported playgroup program targeted at vulnerable and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) families
  • Family Mentoring Program (The Smith Family, UnitingCare Lentara, VICSEG New Futures)
    A peer-to-peer family mentoring program for newly arrived migrants
  • Feeling is Thinking (Royal Children's Hospital) 
    Aims to equip children with methods to understand and manage their feelings in a safe and encouraging environment
  • Food REDI (Australian Red Cross) 
    Aims to equip families and individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to eat a healthy balanced diet and improve their food budgeting skills and bring a positive change in their food utilisation behaviours
  • Growing Connections (Anglicare Victoria)
    A group-based intervention that aims to strengthen the mother-child relationship
  • Have Fun Be Healthy (Playgroups Queensland) 
    Aims to increase awareness and knowledge about healthy eating and physical activity in parents/carers that attend playgroups
  • Hills Community Strengthening Initiative (ECHO Youth and Family Services) 
    Comprised of an after school mentoring program and a supported playgroup, the program aims to build a co-ordinated community approach toward meeting the needs of ‘at risk’ children and families
  • Holding Children Together Service (Relationships Australia) 
    A therapeutic counselling service for children aged 5- 12 years of age who have experienced interpersonal trauma
  • Hume Early Years Family Violence Project (Berry Street, UnitingCare Lentara)
    Provides support to women and children who have experienced family violence.
  • I like, like you: Upper primary school ILLY UP (Relationships Australia Victoria, Windermere)
    An interactive, therapeutic program aimed at educating school students in identifying and the practice of healthy relationships with others.
  • Ingkenteme (Akeyulerre)
    Supports Arrernte families to create a quality family environment for their children that supports learning and development and fosters a sense of pride, belonging and respect
  • Intensive Supported Playgroup (The Salvation Army Ingle Farm)
    Aims to improve early childhood development and educational outcomes and to increase the wellbeing of children by engaging families through facilitated play
  • Key Worker Model (CatholicCare Tasmania) 
    Supports young parents to develop positive parenting skills and engage with family support, education and employment services
  • Kids Connect (Save the Children) 
    A program that addresses behavioural difficulties, low self-esteem and/or poor school attendance in children aged 8-11 years
  • Kids Gym (Mission Australia) 
    A structured allied health group therapy and supported play group program that targets early childhood development
  • Kids Stuff for Young Parents (Metropolitan Youth Health Service) 
    A group program designed to support vulnerable young parents with parenting their children
  • KidsXpress (KidsXpress, Mission Australia)
    A therapeutic intervention program for children combining music, art, drama and play therapies in an intensive short-term transdisciplinary
  • Learning together (VICSEG New Futures)
    Supports culturally and linguistically diverse parents and young children (0-5 years) to learn together
  • Let's Count (The Smith Family) 
    An early years numeracy program aimed at children aged 3-5 years
  • Let’s Start: Play to Connect (Menzies School of Health Research)
    Uses therapeutic child-led play to promote stronger relationships between parents and children and support them in the transition to school
  • Library has Legs: Early Years Literacies Outreach Program (Casey Cardinia Libraries)
    A place-based and collaborative approach to supporting local families to strengthen their child’s emergent literacy skills
  • Life Education (Uniting Care Northern Gold Coast)
    A drug and health education program delivered in schools to children and young people
  • Lismore Transition Program (YWCA NSW) 
    A play-based early childhood learning program targeting vulnerable and disadvantaged children and their families/carers
  • Middle Years Hip Hop (Swan Alliance) 
    Provides children aged 8-12 years old with access to a high quality, supervised hip hop program in a safe, structured and culturally sensitive environment
  • MindUP (Anglicare) 
    A mindfulness-based social and emotional learning curriculum program for educators and students
  • Miriwoong Language Nest Program (Mirima Dawang Woorlab-gerring Language and Culture Centre, Save the Children - East Kimberley)
    Provides culturally responsive educational and socio-emotional development opportunities for young children through the provision of immersion-based Miriwoong language learning experiences.
  • Mobile Family Connections (Centacare) 
    Supports parents to provide young children with secure attachment and quality environments that are safe, positive and stimulating
  • New and Emerging Communities (Uniting Communities) 
    Enables children and families who are recent arrivals to Australia to achieve their educational, health, economic and social settlement aspirations
  • Off to an Early Start (Anglicare Victoria) 
    Supports children and families to access early years educational opportunities or learning/social activities 
  • Parent Baby Day Stay (Family Care) 
    Provides education and support to carers of newborn infants (0-12 months)
  • Parenting in a New Culture (Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre, UnitingCare Lentara)
    Supports refugee and migrant parents in their acculturation and settlement journey in Australia.
  • Parenting Together (The Salvation Army) 
    A parenting program aimed at improving family functioning
  • Parenting Young Children (Parenting Research Centre) 
    A home-based parent training and support program for parents with learning difficulties and their young children
  • Parents Building Solutions (PBS) (Anglicare Victoria)
    PBS is a strengths based, developmental parenting program using principles of participant co-design. PBS  focuses on strengthening the parent-child relationship and enabling parents to develop skill in promoting self-discipline and resilience in children. 
  • Parents not Partners (Interrelate) 
    Designed to improve emotional and developmental outcomes for children in separated families
  • Piccaninny Playgroup (Townview State School)
    Supported playgroup for Indigenous children, families and communities in Mt Isa, Queensland
  • Play2Learn (Save the Children)
    A universal, supported playgroup for children aged 0-5 years and their parents
  • Play to Connect (Menzies School of Health Research)
    A short-term parent-child program focussing on parent-child connection, child-led play and setting limits
  • Play and Learn Support Program (Anglicare NT)
    Provides information, education and practical support so that can families can respond to their child’s needs
  • Play in the Park (YMCA) 
    A supported outdoor playgroup program held at public parks within lower socio-economic status areas
  • Playgroup in the Park (Playgroup Queensland)
    A supported playgroup that promotes the development of children’s social, emotional, language, physical and cognitive skills
  • Playpod (Healthy Cities Illawarra)
    A community development program aimed at engaging the broader community in after-school activities for children
  • Positive Horizons Cardinia (OzChild)
    A flexible child and family support program that assists families with practical, social and emotional guidance
  • Postnatal depression and anxiety group therapy (Tresillian)
    Supports mothers with postnatal depression and anxiety in developing improved skills in managing their symptoms of postnatal depression and anxiety.
  • Ranger for Life (Aboriginal Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Limited)
    Supports vulnerable and disadvantaged Aboriginal children to engage in learning, and improve their development, transition into early learning and school and school attendance
  • RCNC The Nest (Amity Health WA)
    Provides parenting support and knowledge- building activities to mothers.
  • Reading for Life (Learning Links)
    A volunteer-led reading program for primary school children
  • Ready Set Go (YWCA)
    Designed to enhance vulnerable and disadvantaged families' and children’s access to services and support, and to enhance the skills, knowledge and competence of families and early childhood staff in managing child development
  • REALskills (Tweed Family Centre)
    A school-based program that provides a range of services to support children, young people and families to build and enhance relationships
  • Repair-enting (Relationships Australia Victoria)
    Helps fathers to develop knowledge and skills for healthy parenting practices and for repair relationships that have been affected by family violence
  • Respect Ambassadors Program (RAP) (Nirodah, The Salvation Army - East Tasmania)
    A whole of community violence prevention program that educates young people how to behave respectfully and compassionately towards others 
  • Roadworthy for Dads (LifeWorks)
    Supports vulnerable and disadvantaged fathers to improve their understanding of early childhood development, attachment, and stage appropriate parenting
  • School Attendance Support Program (Connections UnitingCare)
    Aims to develop and maintain collaborative relationships with primary schools, whilst engaging families to address school refusal
  • Schools as Banks for Social Capital (St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School)
    Develops the capacity between child and family support services and schools to help change, improve and enhance lives across local communities
  • Siblings in Focus (Junction Australia)
    Targeted at siblings in families with disabilities or chronic illness with the aim of helping to build friendships and increase social connection
  • Social Opportunities (Asperlutely Autsome)
    A social connectedness program for children on the autism spectrum and their families
  • Stability through Support (Save the Children)
    An early intervention and prevention program for boys aged 9-12 years that supports school engagement and transition
  • Stage Sparks (Carclew)
    An arts-based program that aims to increase young people’s confidence, resilience and wellbeing
  • Step into prep (Playgroup Queensland)
    An early years program that utilises the Abecedarian Approach Australia (3a) to support school readiness
  • Still Mind (Healing Psychology)
    Supports teachers to integrate emotionally supportive tools into the classroom to improve students’ behaviour and wellbeing
  • Strengths Fathers Program (Rock Impact)
    Enables fathers to improve their relationships with their children, improve parenting skills/practices, and overcome barriers that prevent them from being effective parents
  • Strong Fathers (Indigo Junction)
    Supports Aboriginal fathers experiencing family dysfunction to access local community services or programs
  • Student2Student (The Smith Family)
    A peer tutoring reading program that aims to improve reading skills and confidence in struggling readers aged 8-12 years
  • The Bridge (Greater Dandenong Libraries)
    Provides children with learning opportunities through literacy and numeracy support, and provides support to parents
  • The Garden (Relationships Australia SA)
    A therapeutic program aimed at strengthening the relationships between parents and their infants/toddlers
  • The Respect Project (Outloud)
    An arts-based program for young boys that aims to address negative gender stereotypes, promote positive attitudes towards women and girls and build an understanding of healthy relationships
  • The Song Room Teaching Artist Program (The Song Room, Mission Australia)
    An in-school workshop program that aims to improve students’ wellbeing, creativity and educational experience.
  • The Wellbeing Classroom (The Salvation Army Ingle Farm, Uniting Care Wesley Port Adelaide)
    A classroom based intervention program aimed at vulnerable children and families.
  • Transition to School (Liverpool Hospital Speech Pathology (SWSLHD) and Play Matters Australia)
    A multidisciplinary school readiness program that supports at-risk children to transition to primary school.
  • Tweens (Healthy Cities Illawarra)
    Support children to interact more positively with others and develop positive peer relationships
  • Volunteer Family Connect (Save the Children)
    A volunteer home visiting program for families with young children
  • Western Perinatal Support Group (Queen Elizabeth Hospital)
    An early intervention program aimed at reducing the effects of perinatal anxiety and depression on families and children
  • Whizz Kids (Anglicare Victoria)
    A supported playgroup that aims to support families to build connections with their local community and to provide “a soft entry” approach to services
  • Wings Program (Pathways to Resilience)
    Supports educators in early years services to improve outcomes for children aged under 5 years
  • Women Can/Kids Can (Uniting)
    A program for women and children who have experienced and been exposed to domestic violence

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