Refer a family

Practitioners and organisations can refer a family to the various programs within the Child and Family Support System (CFSS).

Families needing additional support

If you are working with a family and believe they would benefit from additional support to improve their family functioning and children’s safety and wellbeing, you can refer them to a family support program.

Families needing intensive support

For families needing intensive support, families can be referred to the CFSS Pathways Service (the statewide centralised referral service for Intensive Family Services and Child and Family Safety Networks) who will allocate families to an appropriate intensive service.

Approved referrers for intensive support

Department for Child Protection

The Department for Child Protection may refer families when they have determined the children are safe within their homes but are in need of additional supports to maintain or strengthen that safety.

Department for Education

South Australian government schools can refer children where they hold concerns for the safety and wellbeing of children, and are seeking to prevent these children escalating into the statutory child protection system.

SA Health Birthing Hospitals

SA Health Birthing Hospitals are often the first support to identify child safety concerns in pregnancy, and early infancy. SA Health can refer the mothers of unborn children (at any point in their pregnancy) and infants up to six weeks of age.

If you are worried about the safety and wellbeing of a child

Organisations cannot contact an approved referrer directly to refer a family for Intensive Family Services. If you are worried about the safety and wellbeing of a child and have reasonable suspicion they are, or may be, at risk of harm, call the Child Abuse Report Line (CARL) on 13 14 78.