A leader in servicing the diverse needs of families and the community, Casey already features Australia’s largest Family Day Care Scheme and Victoria’s largest Maternal and Child Health Service. A new and exciting initiative is the development of Family Resource Centres that enables a range of services for children and families to operate from a central point in the community.
New one-stop-shop for families
Casey’s Family Resource Centres (FRCs) are a ‘one stop shop’ for family and children’s services. These centres are based on a “hub” model where a variety of Council and community based services are offered from one central location.
Council services delivered from FRCs include maternal and child health and preschool education. Community rooms for groups such as playgroups or for training purposes are also available. In the past year, two FRCs have been successfully established in Berwick and Cranbourne, with another two FRCs in development.
City of Casey Chief Executive Mike Tyler expects that over time a diversity of programs and services will operate from FRCs. The centres also offer consulting suites for various allied health professionals, such as psychologists, speech therapists, family planning, counselling services, parent education and immunisation.
“In addition to suiting families, the FRC model also appeals to new service providers interested in moving to Casey or developing a new service in the municipality,” Mike Tyler said.
“Many services providers find venue set up costs prohibitive, and the colocation model reduces some of these issues. Colocation of services promotes collaboration between services and, therefore, more seamless service delivery to residents.”
