Children, Family & Community Services | mcm

If your child is living with a disability and acts in a way that is worrying or hard to control, we can support you. Melbourne Citymission acknowledges that there are times when a child living with a disability, may present behaviours that can be worrying or hard to deal with. Affirming Families works with children and their families to develop a management plan to modify the behaviours in the home and in other settings. We work in partnership with parents and their children to achieve their identified goals.

Using a family-centred approach, this program supports and empowers families and communities to maximise the inclusion and development of children aged from 0 to 6 years with a developmental delay.

The Strengthening Parent Support program can assist families who have a  child who is living with a disability or has additional needs by providing information about services, and by offering practical assistance and advocacy. The program actively supports the growth and development of parent support groups across the northern suburbs and training in volunteer support work.

The Melbourne Citymission Helping Children with Autism programs support children who have been diagnosed with autism. We work in partnership with families to support children in their day to day life, which can include home, kinder, school, child care or other community locations. Our suite of Autism support programs include the Circles of Support program, the Affirming Families Program and the Early intervention Program.

The Melbourne Citymission Parenting in Partnership Program assists parents with learning disabilities to grow in confidence as parents, practice social skills, receive informal role modeling from another parent, and participate more fully in their community. Volunteers receive training and guidance to develop an activity plan with the parent.

Activities can include a range of choices where the volunteer may support the parent to begin new community activities which can be sustained by the parent when the mentoring ends.

Melbourne Citymission acknowledges that having a child with a disability may have an impact on family life. Our Time Out – Sibling Support program provides children and adolescents who have a sibling with a disability with opportunities for support and socialisation.

Two primary school aged groups operate on a fortnightly basis, with a teenage therapeutic group delivered over eight weeks during school terms. All groups combine for occasional holiday program outings.

The Children’s Centre, located in Brunswick, provides full- or part-time care to children from 3 months to school age in 4 age-appropriate playrooms.

Hartnett House Children's Centre, 123 Albion Street, Brunswick.

If you want to develop your parenting skills and meet other parents in your community, join our Child Care Links program.

Children of all abilities are provided with an opportunity to develop and learn specific skills through: participation in playgroups; accessing long day care or occasional care through childcare centres; participating in kindergarten; and for those children with additional needs, receiving early intervention services. This service operates on the boundaries of Moreland and Hume local government areas.

Melbourne Citymission’s Heritage Service supports people who have left care to gather records and historical material.

Laurimar Kindergarten is run by Melbourne Citymission in consultation with the local community. The Kindergarten has been established to meet the needs of the local community in providing a foundation for the lifelong learning, health and well being of children.

If you are living with a disability and require 24-hour accommodation and support, we can support you to live in a suburban house within the local community.

Utilising a case management approach, the Disability Planning and Co-ordination Service assists people with a disability and others who are important in their life, to develop a plan with goals and strategies. It provides information about services and supports, and supports individuals in accessing services and supports, that cover areas in their life that they feel are important.

Based on a lead tenant model, Community Integration and Accommodation Options (CIAO) is a supported accommodation program for young people aged between 15 and 18 years who are on a statutory order (Protective and Youth Justice) and in transition out of home-care services (Department of Human Services).

Melbourne Citymission’s Outreach service assists people with a disability to become more independent in their community. Outreach is flexible and support is based on individual needs.

If you are living with a disability, we can help you to develop the life-skills you want so you can be more independent in your community.

Melbourne Citymission’s Respite program provides an effective quality service for eligible individuals which assists people with disabilities to develop and achieve personal growth whilst respecting their individual needs. If you are the primary caregiver for someone who is living with a disability, we can provide short-term breaks to support you.

The Community Friend Program matches people with a disability to volunteers, with the aim of forming friendships and easing social isolation. We can match you with a volunteer who can help you to get out and about in the community.

Based on an individualized plan, Bridges supports adults with a disability to learn news skills that may help them get a job, do meaningful things with their day, continue their education and/or become more independent and/or join recreational services. If you are aged 16 years or over and living with a disability, Bridges can offer you community-based adult training and support.

The Community Visitors Scheme seeks volunteers who can commit to building a friendship with an older person living in an aged care home who may be lonely and isolated.

Volunteers are matched on a one-to-one basis to a person living in an aged care home. The program aims to diminish the sense of loneliness and isolation experienced by these residents. The scheme operates in the northern and inner northern suburbs of Melbourne, as well as some inner eastern and inner western suburbs.

Using a Community Development approach Melbourne Citymission’s Place Based Services work in partnership with key stakeholders and people living in the East Reservoir area to improve outcomes for children and their families. This means that we listen to people and work with them to develop programs, services and responses that meet their need.

Using a Community Development approach Melbourne Citymission’s Place Based Services work in partnership with key stakeholders and people living in the Broadmeadows Community Neighbourhood Renewal (BCNR) area to improve outcomes for children and their families. This means that we listen to people and work with them to develop programs, services and responses that meet their needs.

As a member of the Whittlesea Community Futures Partnership, we are working in partnership with key stakeholders in the area to plan and implement a range of community development initiatives. This includes the Thomastown Main Street Precinct development, where we are working in partnership to develop new options for the Early Years on the Precinct.