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About Us

vision/purpose/values | patrons/advisory board | annual reports | Friends of the FAC

The Family Action Centre is located at the University of Newcastle, NSW. It is a multidisciplinary Centre with the vision of a truly civil society and a belief that family wellbeing is the cornerstone of healthy communities. The FAC is fully self-funded, receiving funds from departments of the NSW State Government and the Commonwealth Government, from philanthropic organisations, and from corporate and private sponsorship.

The FAC exists to strengthen families and communities by developing and implementing programs, undertaking research and training, and creating models of practice that promote sustainability, social justice and community leadership. Our current programs include the Boys in Schools Program, the Engaging Fathers Program, the Caravan Project, Home-Start, Communities for Children (Raymond Terrace and Karuah) and the Brothers Inside project.

Through our vision of a truly civil society, the Family Action Centre has become a national leader in strengthening families and communities.

What we do

The Family Action Centre:

Together, these actions form a potent mix which acts as a catalyst for social change.

The Family Action Centre began in 1986 with one project, which addressed the needs of caravan park families. The Caravan Program still operates, while around it we have grown into an independent research centre within the University of Newcastle.

We've developed many innovative and effective support programs, several using trained volunteers and involving parents and children. We work with service providers, including schools, in order to improve practice and to achieve better outcomes for boys and girls.

We believe that the importance of the family cannot be overstated; family strengths build on strengths already existing in the community.

Our programs are:

A copy of our organisational chart is available for download as a PDF.

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Our vision

A truly civil society

The Family Action Centre is a national leader in strengthening families and communities.

Our purpose

The Family Action Centre combines community service, research, dissemination and advocacy in order to impact on policy and practice in relation to supporting families and building communities in Australia.

Our values

At the Family Action Centre we:

Patrons and Advisory Board

Our patrons are Ms Geraldine Doogue and Dr John Irvine. We receive support and strategic direction from an Advisory Board made up of representatives from academia, community services and our own staff. The full list of Board members is:

Annual reports

Screen-resolution PDF versions of our most recent annual reports are available for download here. To obtain a print copy, contact the FAC on 02 4921 6403 or send us an email.

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Friends of the FAC

The Family Action Centre is fully self-funded. In order to attract the resources necessary to carry out our work, we are lobby state and federal governments, and philanthropic, corporate and private organisations. Can you help? Yes you can! We are always seeking support for development of programs to support families and build communities at local, state and national levels. Become a Friend of the FAC, become a volunteer, join our Bequest Program or become a Staff Supporter.

Being a Friend

Everyone needs a friend, and we need you!

Since 1986 the Family Action Centre has identified groups of people whose needs are not being met and developed supportive, innovative programs as well as advocate on behalf of marginalised communities. Many Centre programs use volunteers who are trained and supported by professional coordinators. The benefits of being a Friend of the FAC include:

Your contribution may be used for:

For more information on how to become a Friend of the Family Action Centre, please contact:

p 02 4922 6858 f 02 4921 8699 e family@newcastle.edu.au

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Bequest Program

We’re sorry but we can’t promise you immortality. However…

We have a plan that will link you with the future: the Next Generation.

Join our bequest program!

Your bequest will support the Family Action Centre to:

Being a Staff Supporter

Staff of the University of Newcastle are invited to become a Staff Supporter of The Family Action Centre. The Centre's programs use a combination of trained volunteers from the community and professional coordinators to assist identified groups of people whose needs are not being met by community services. The knowledge gained through our programs also provides valuable information for research, advocacy dissemination and lobbying, both on a local and a national level. We also undertake research in order to provide the evidence of what works.

From a minimum of $5.00 a fortnight you can become a staff supporter of the Family Action Centre and assist us to continue to carry out all our important work. This donation is fully tax deductible.

Please print and complete the staff supporter deduction form for payroll to deduct a minimum of $5.00 per fortnight from your salary to be donated to the Family Action Centre. This form should be completed and forwarded by fax to the Family Action Centre, The University of Newcastle.

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