ACT Child and Family Centres: How They Help Kinship Carers in Canberra

Three Centres Across Canberra

The ACT Government runs three Child and Family Centres, each serving a different part of Canberra:

• Tuggeranong Child and Family Centre — serving families in Tuggeranong and the surrounding southern suburbs
• West Belconnen Child and Family Centre — covering the Belconnen area and western Canberra
• Gungahlin Child and Family Centre — serving the growing Gungahlin district and north Canberra

These are walk-in community hubs designed for families with young children. You do not need a referral or an appointment for most services, though some programs have scheduled sessions.

What the Centres Offer Kinship Carers

If you have recently taken on a grandchild, niece, nephew or other relative's child, the Child and Family Centres can be a useful first stop — especially when you are not sure where else to turn.

Drop-in family support: Staff can talk you through what services are available in Canberra, help you understand which agencies handle which issues, and refer you to specialist providers. They know the local landscape.

Supported playgroups: Free playgroups for children aged 0–5, including structured early learning activities. For kinship carers — particularly grandparents who may not have young children of their own — these provide social connection for both you and the child.

Parenting information and workshops: Sessions covering child development, managing behaviour, early literacy and nutrition. These are not designed specifically for kinship carers, but they are open to all primary carers.

Koori playgroups and culturally safe programs: For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, the centres run dedicated programs that support cultural connection and community links.

Referral pathways: The centres can refer you to housing support, family counselling, disability services, maternal and child health services, and community legal advice.

What the Centres Cannot Do

It is worth being clear about the boundaries:

• They do not process Centrelink claims. For Family Tax Benefit, Foster Child Health Care Card or any income support payment, you need Services Australia directly — either online through myGov, by phone, or at a Centrelink service centre.
• They do not issue formal care documentation. The statutory declaration (form CS4647) that proves your care arrangement to Centrelink must be signed before an authorised witness (a JP, lawyer, pharmacist or similar).
• They do not enrol children in school. That is handled by the school itself, through the ACT Education Directorate's standard enrolment process.
• They do not provide legal advice. For family law, child protection or Centrelink disputes, you need Legal Aid ACT (1300 654 314) or Canberra Community Law (02 6218 7900).

Think of the centres as connectors, not processors. They help you find the right door; you still have to walk through it.

When to Visit

The centres are most useful at two points in a kinship care journey:

Early days — when a child has just arrived and you need orientation. Staff can point you toward Carers ACT (the main carer advocacy organisation), the Centrelink Grandparent Adviser Line (1800 245 965), and local community services for material support.

Ongoing — for the social and developmental side. Playgroups, parenting workshops and community events help the child build routines and give you a network of other families in similar situations.

Beyond the Centres

The centres are one piece of the support landscape. For the financial and administrative side — claiming payments, proving care, tracking expenses, getting the child enrolled in school and onto your Medicare card — the ACT Kinship Carer Support Guide covers every step and every form, with worksheets to keep your records organised.

See more Australian Capital Territory guides →