Child, Youth and Family and Family and Community Services are working together to ensure the funding of services that supports families is coherent, cohesive and seamless.

Over the next year we will be working to develop a national funding framework.

We hope, over time, that this will make it easier for providers of family support services, which are aligned with government's strategic goals, to have access to sustainable funding.

The new national funding framework will improve the way Family and Community Services and Child, Youth and Family fund services from 2008 onwards.

It will take into account:

• the needs of families and communities
• the needs of the community and voluntary sector
• the government's priority goals.

The funding framework will:

• ensure services funded by both organisations are aligned to the goals of Families - Young and Old
• develop common funding and contracting processes for both Family and Community Services and Child, Youth and Family
• each year develop a common, integrated annual funding plan for both organisations
• enhance the capacity and capability of the community and voluntary sector.

2007/2008 will be the first year that Child, Youth and Family and Family and Community Services will develop a single integrated funding plan for all servcies funded by Child, Youth and Family and/or Family and Community Services.

For this year there will be no change for most providers.

There will, however, be a change for some providers.

Service providers who are partially funded by both Child, Youth and Family and Family and Community Services, and have contracts expiring in June 2007, will be the first group to experience changes to the way they are funded.

We will be making it easier for you to work with us because wherever practical we will seek to make it possible for you to:

• work with one contract manager
• deal with one contract
• issue one invoice per reporting period
• produce one report per reporting period.

It may also mean that the service you have the current funding relationship with may change depending on the main focus of your service.

We will endeavour to make sure the transition to the new process is as smooth as possible.

If you are one of those affected, your current funding advisor will contact you to discuss these changes.

We will keep you informed about each stage of the funding framework as it is developed.

If you have any questions, please refer to our frequently asked questions in the first instance, or contact your funding advisor or contract specialist.