Last updated 12 July 2022

The Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs (Child Safety) is responsible for and manages a child and family support system where vulnerable families have access to high-quality services at the right time to help them care for their children.

In most circumstances, children are best cared for by their own families, and sometimes families need support to safely care for their children at home, without unnecessary intervention by Child Safety.

Community-based support services, known as Family and Child Connect, support families across Queensland who are at risk of entering or re-entering the child protection system. 

Family and Child Connect has connections to local services that can help families such as intensive family support services, domestic and family violence support services, and specialist services and supports such as mental health services, drug and alcohol counselling and housing services. 

Child Safety also partners with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services, which provide confidential advice and support for families and children, and work with other culturally appropriate services, including the Family Participation Program, housing services and health services.  

Child Safety is also responsible for ensuring that ways exist to coordinate the roles and responsibilities of service providers in promoting the protection of children, child protection services and family support services (s 159G(1)(a) Child Protection Act). 

The intention is to ensure that the agencies and service providers involved with children and families are coordinated and can share information to provide children with the opportunity to remain in a stable, functioning family environment without the need to enter the statutory child protection system before they can receive support.