Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) are invited to submit their proposals to deliver three new Aboriginal Child & Family Centres in Western NSW, Orange and the Central Coast.

Project goals

In March 2024 the NSW Government approved the delivery of six new Aboriginal Child and Family Centres (ACFC). The need to expand the ACFC Program was identified as one of six foundation initiatives as part of Brighter Beginnings – the First 2,000 Days of Life, which acknowledges the role culturally centred services delivered through ACFCs play in giving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children the best start in life.

The ACFC program delivers a single point of access to a range of culturally safe services and supports to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families with children aged 0 – 8 years.

The overall goal of this procurement is to select three Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) to operate an ACFC in each of the priority locations; Western NSW, Orange and the Central Coast.

The ACFC Expansion Program Pilot includes capital and recurrent service funding to:

•  Build three new ACFC centres by December 2026; and
•  Fund service operations for the three new ACFC centres from January 2027 for a period of 5 years with option to extend until June 2032.

Infrastructure & Assets (I&A) within DCJ will manage the build in partnership with successful ACCOs and will retain the capital budget to cover the capital build costs.

Scope

The ACFC Program Specifications set out the broad parameters of the ACFC Program, including program outcomes.

The provision of a regulated Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Service is a mandatory component of the ACFC service model. ACFCs should provide either long day care or preschool, which is targeted to address gaps in existing service systems. The ECEC service needs to be a new service, that creates new ECEC places and must be operated from the ACFC asset. 

The ACFC must also: 

•  support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in accessing a range of other integrated services such as immunisations, health checks, disability screening and medical assessment checks such as speech pathology and paediatric services.  

It may also: 

•  provide support services for families and parents, including parenting programs, adult and child counselling, literacy programs, occupational therapy, and other allied health services.