Family Support Service

Family Support Service (FSS) is based at The Dame Phyllis Frost Centre. FSS assist women to maintain relationships with their children and family whilst they are in the centre and provide individual support on child and family issues. FSS works in partnership with women to enrich and extend existing parent-child interactions. FSS assists women in their role as mothers, for the best possible outcomes for themselves and their children. This program is independent from the prison.

Based on a FSS assessment women are offered one on one support with a range of family issues including:

  • Maintain contact with family members
  • Liaise with children’s schools and support services
  • Parenting support such as understanding of children’s development, separation, grief & loss and strategies for parenting from a distance
  • Links to community agencies to strengthen ties and support towards family reunification
  • Liaising with the Department of Human Services – Child protection to work towards the best outcome for mothers at DPFC and their children, which may include, child protection contacts, issues, orders, case plan meetings, access visits and referrals to Children’s Court Legal representatives.
  • Family Law issues, which may include; arranging contact between the woman and her family court legal representation.
  • An opportunity to participate in group programs

Contact us

Program contact details

Sonia Chudiak, Manager Justice Programs

Phone number

03 9680 8230

Justice Programs

We offer an integrated suite of justice programs that provide support to women and men whilst they are in prison, and before and after they have been released.

We are the largest provider of women’s prison services in Victoria. We are a leader and innovator in service provision. We also play an important role in shaping service development and policy direction.