Cafs provides specialised support for families of children aged from birth-18years who have complex disability support needs and are either living voluntarily in residential care or at risk of entering out-of-home care.
Our focus is on early intervention, helping parents and carers manage challenges at home to reduce the risk of family separation. We also assist families in navigating the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and maintaining strong, supportive connections while children are in care.
This program is designed for children and young people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder, particularly those experiencing severely challenging behaviours that impact their wellbeing and the wellbeing of those around them.
We work closely with families to provide tailored support, practical strategies & compassionate guidance, because every child deserves to feel safe, supported & connected.
Parenting Children with Complex Disability Program
Keeping families together through tailored disability support
Caring for a child with complex disability support needs can be challenging, and families shouldn’t have to face it alone. The PCCD program provides flexible, tailored case management support for families of children aged from birth-18years who are living voluntarily in residential care, or are at risk of entering out-of-home care due to their disability-related needs and requires extra support to sustain care in the family home where a statutory response is unlikely.
Our focus is on early intervention, working with families to manage challenges at home and reduce the need for separation. We support children with intellectual disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder, particularly those experiencing severely challenging behaviours that impact their wellbeing and the wellbeing of others.
Through personalised support packages, we help families stay together, navigate the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and maintain strong family relationships when children are in care. At Cafs, we believe every child deserves to feel safe, supported and connected and every family deserves the tools and care to make that possible.
The Specialist Disability Practitioner (SDP) role is dedicated to supporting vulnerable families where disability intersects with complex challenges. This program strengthens the response of child and family services by helping children and parents living with disability access appropriate support and participate effectively in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
The SDP role was introduced to ease the disability-related pressures on broader family services and child protection systems, particularly during the transition to the NDIS. Practitioners provide a mix of short, medium, long and intensive interventions, tailored to each family’s needs.
In addition to direct support, SDPs offer disability-related case consultations to practitioners across the family services system within each Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) area. These consultations help maximise disability-related outcomes for children and families by improving access to NDIS support.
Parents with cognitive disabilities are over-represented in the child protection system. The SDP role plays a vital part in building parenting capacity and connecting families with both mainstream and specialist support, ensuring children and parents are better equipped to thrive together.
Support for families at every stage — from early parenting and relationship counselling to disability support and family safety, with care that meets you where you are.
Discover how Cafs supports children, families and individuals across the Central Highlands of Victoria with local, trauma-informed services in family safety, housing, youth care and more.
