Family Resource Centers -- too little, too late

Family Relationship Advice Line 1800 050 321

Hours of operation

The Family Relationship Advice Line is available from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm on Saturday (local time), except national public holidays.

Overview

The Family Relationship Advice Line is a national telephone service established to assist families affected by relationship or separation issues.

The Advice Line provides information on family relationship issues and advice on parenting arrangements after separation. It can also refer callers to local services that can provide assistance.

The Advice Line complements the information and services offered by the new Family Relationship Centres. It ensures that people who are not able to attend a Centre can be helped.

Who should call the Advice Line?

The Advice Line is for anyone who is affected by family relationship or separation issues and difficulties. This includes parents, grandparents, children, young people, step-parents or friends.

What can you expect to receive?

Calls will be answered by a trained operator who can direct you to information and services relevant to your individual needs.

Operators will also be able to transfer you to a parenting adviser who can provide in-depth advice over the telephone, such as advice on parenting arrangements after separation.

Confidentiality

When you call, you may elect not to provide any identifying information, such as your name. However, if you choose to provide this information, it will save you time next time you call. For example, your information will be used to create a client profile that can be used next time you call or with your permission, the Family Relationship Centres will use this information should you be referred to them or an appointment - this way you will not be asked for the same details twice.

Note you will have control to secure your personal information. When your client profile is created, you will be provided with a security code. Neither the Advice Line operators nor the Family Relationship Centre advisers can access your personal information without your security code.

http://www.familyrelationships.gov.au/Family_Relationship_Centres.html

Family Relationship Centres

Overview

The Centres are a first port of call when families want information about relationship and separation issues.

Through information and referral the Centres help families strengthen relationships and deal with relationship difficulties. Where families separate, the centres provide information, advice and dispute resolution (such as mediation) to help them reach agreement on parenting arrangements without going to court. They also refer families to a range of other services that can help.

Over the next two years, 65 new Family Relationship Centres will be established in cities and towns across Australia. The Centres will be a source of information for families at all stages in their life, including people starting relationships, those wanting to make their relationships stronger, those having relationship difficulties and those affected when families separate.

The Centres will also offer individual, group and joint sessions to help separating families make workable arrangements for their children without having to go to court.

Qualified Staff

The Centres will be run by a range of organisations whose professionally qualified staff will deliver high quality, confidential and impartial services, and will be able to make referrals if necessary.

These professionals have high levels of skills in relevant areas, including identifying family violence and child abuse.

Information and Services

The Centres will become valuable community resource that will:

Provide information for families: All family relationship information will be available in one place. People of all ages at any stage of their family relationship will be able to use the Centre to resolve individual relationship issues.

The Centres will also run public information sessions covering family relationship issues, including parenting after separation.

Help families use other services: The Centres will make it easier for families to find out about and use the many existing services throughout Australia that can help them resolve their relationship issues. These other services include early intervention services that prevent relationships from breaking down.

Provide assistance for separating families: As well as providing information and referral, Centres will be able to help separating parents in a number of ways, including:

- individual interviews for separating/separated parents to help them identify issues and options and focus on the needs of their children
- group programs on parenting after separation
- joint sessions for separating parents to help them reach agreement on parenting arrangements.

Will separating couples have to attend a Centre?

Separating couples are encouraged to use the new Family Relationship Centres, but it is not compulsory.

In future years, the law will require separating parents to first try dispute resolution before taking a parenting dispute to the court (exceptions include cases where violence or child abuse is present).

Dispute resolution can be provided by an accredited professional at a Family Relationship Centre or elsewhere.

Are services free?

Centres will provide individual advice free of charge.

Centres will provide up to three hours free of charge for joint dispute resolution sessions (such as mediation).

Charges will only apply after the first three hours of joint sessions. Any fees charged after these three hours, will take into account the family's ability to pay. In some cases fees will be waived.

Find a Family Relationship Centre near you:

<http://www.fralcms.gov.au/CAP/accesspoint/jsp/fro?actionfiltered=advancedSearch&searchString=family+relationship+centre&searchType=advanced&resultType=Detailed&resultCount=10&sort_by=-Nrank>

FRC - Frankston

Description: Information about topics or available services and how to choose the most appropriate service for your needs.

Resource Type: Information service

Contact Information: Service Coordinator

Email: frankstonfrc@familylife.com.au

Website: http://www.familylife.com.au/

Physical Address: 37 Playne Street, Frankston 3199 VIC
Postal Address: As above

Phone: 03 9770 0341
Fax:

Cost: Free and Charged

Opening hours:
Monday 10:00am - 08:00pm
Tuesday 10:00am - 08:00pm
Wednesday 09:00am - 05:00pm
Thursday 09:00am - 05:00pm
Friday 09:00am - 05:00pm

Public Transport: Parking facility within close proximity; Train station within close proximity; Bus service within close proximity; Taxi rank within close proximity.

FRC - Ringwood

Description: A service designed to educate members of the public and/ or service providers about particular issues.

Description: A process conducted by an independent person or persons (mediator/s) who assists people to resolve disputes by helping them to identify the issues, their needs and interests, to consider alternatives and to agree on the best way to resolve the dispute. Mediator/s do not offer professional advice on the subject matter of the dispute, the law or the most appropriate outcome. In disputes concerning children, the participants are encouraged to focus on the best interests of the children and the mediator/s may use child inclusive techniques to bring the children's feelings and needs to the attention of the participants.

Resource Type: Mediation service
Resource Type: Education service
Resource Type: Information service

Contact Information: LesleyJohnson (Administrator)

Email: frc@each.com.au

Website: http://www.each.com.au/

Physical Address: 16 Bond Street, Ringwood 3134 VIC
Postal Address: As Above

Phone: 03 9871 6300
Fax:

Cost: Free and Charged

Opening hours:
Monday 09:00am - 05:00pm
Tuesday 09:00am - 08:00pm
Wednesday 09:00am - 08:00pm
Thursday 09:00am - 08:00pm
Friday 09:00am - 05:00pm

Public Transport: Parking facility within close proximity; Train station within close proximity; Bus service within close proximity; Taxi rank within close proximity.

FRC - Sunshine

Description: A process conducted by an independent person or persons (mediator/s) who assists people to resolve disputes by helping them to identify the issues, their needs and interests, to consider alternatives and to agree on the best way to resolve the dispute. Mediator/s do not offer professional advice on the subject matter of the dispute, the law or the most appropriate outcome. In disputes concerning children, the participants are encouraged to focus on the best interests of the children and the mediator/s may use child inclusive techniques to bring the children's feelings and needs to the attention of the participants. Sunshine FRC provides information, mediation and referral to assist families to strengthen relationships, and assist separating families to resolve disputes by focusing on the best interests of children.

Resource Type: Mediation service

Contact Information: 03 9313 0444

Email: jharris@rav.org.au

Website: http://www.relationships.com.au/vic/landing.asp
http://www.relationships.com.au/utilities/contact.asp

Physical Address: Ground 1Clarke Street, Sunshine 3020 VIC
Postal Address: As Above

Phone: 03 9313 0444, 1300 792 400
Fax: Not Available

Cost: Free and Charged

Opening hours:
Monday 09:00am - 05:00pm
Tuesday 09:00am - 05:00pm
Wednesday 09:00am - 05:00pm
Thursday 09:00am - 05:00pm
Friday 09:00am - 05:00pm

Public Transport: Parking facility within close proximity; Train station within close proximity; Bus service within close proximity; Taxi rank within close proximity.

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Sources:

<http://www.fralcms.gov.au/CAP/accesspoint/jsp/fro?actionfiltered=advancedSearch&searchString=family+relationship+centre&searchType=advanced&resultType=Detailed&resultCount=10&sort_by=-Nrank>

Frankston
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Ringwood
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Sunshine

<http://www.fralcms.gov.au/CAP/accesspoint/jsp/fro?actionfiltered=recordDetails&sourceNode=/cap(SearchManager)&sourceResource=DMService&recordId=urn:rdm1:00011787&cbch=>

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See also: http://ag.gov.au/family & http://www.familyrelationships.gov.au/

But not http://www.fralcms.gov.au/CAP/logon.htm :-)

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