Communities
for Children

Communities for Children facilitates a whole of community approach to provide early childhood development initiatives, supporting and enhancing development needs of children aged 0 to 12 years.

We use a place based approach and work with children, families and other organisations to shape program and service delivery.

As a CfC Facilitating Partner, we aim to provide support to the local community by partnering with community services to deliver programs and supports as well as capacity build through community participation and voice.

Research has found that money directed to programs through Communities for Children returns a community benefit three times the investment.

Read the Social Return on Investment study here.

We support the wellbeing of children and families by:

• Working with parents and children to build child-friendly spaces within community
• Funding other community organisations to deliver services including parenting support, home visits, community events and life skills courses
• Building on local strengths to meet local community needs
• Creating capability within local services systems
• Using strong evidence of what works in the early years of life

As a Communities for Children Facilitating Partner, we take an early intervention approach that supports families to enhance the way they relate to each other, improve parenting skills, and ensure the health and wellbeing of children.

A key part of UnitingSA’s role as a Communities for Children (CfC) Facilitating Partner is to identify and fund CfC Community Partners, who can deliver programs to help address the needs of children and families in the region.

The 2022 tender process for CfC Community Partners has now closed, and we are currently reviewing applications submitted from organisations across the City of Port Adelaide Enfield and City of Charles Sturt.

Successful applicants will deliver activities and programs to support children and their families, in alignment with the objectives of our Community Strategic Plan 2022-2026.

We look forward to announcing our new Community Partners once the tender assessment process is finalised.

“I am really happy and grateful to the homework club and to all the volunteers.”

Participant from The Smith Family

“I cannot speak highly enough of the very noticeable positive impact this program has had on our lives, since given the opportunity to join this program. I cannot emphasise enough how impressed I was with the valuable service that we were so fortunate to have access to. They have been able to introduce our family to support services, parenting tools and knowledge that have helped us adjust to our new lives as parents.”

Participant from Central Adelaide Local Health Network

The course has been very enlightening as my son is so young I am glad I have had this course. I can see it being incredibly useful as he grows up.”

Participant from UnitingCare Wesley Bowden