NSW DCJ - Evaluation of the Aboriginal Children and Family Centres (ACFC) Program (Completed 2021)
NSW Government Department of Communities and Justice:
Project Director - Natalie Walker
Project Manager - Diane Biaggini
In 2023, Inside Policy was engaged by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice to conduct an evaluation of the Aboriginal Children and Family Centres (ACFC) Program in NSW. The ACFC program funds purpose-built centres that aim to provide co-located, holistic, culturally safe and integrated services to meet the needs of Indigenous children and their families.
The project’s methodological framework was produced from a co-design method, involving interviews with Departmental staff and key stakeholders. The evaluation involved a mixed method approach, with a focus on qualitative data using semi-structured interviews with ACFC staff, partner organisations, service providers and ACFC clients. Inside Policy also conducted a quantitative analysis to determine the effectiveness of the ACFC models and a cost-benefit analysis to determine the cost-effectiveness of the Program.
The final published report is available here - Aboriginal Child and Family Centres Program Evaluation on Final Report
Links:
For further information contact us directly here.
Winter mornings have a way of making everything feel slower. The frost on the window, the reluctance to leave the warmth of bed, the kettle taking forever to boil. I found myself with an extra hour last Saturday, mug in hand, scrolling through some policy reports I'd bookmarked months ago and never got around to reading. One that caught my eye was an evaluation of the Aboriginal Children and Family Centres program from 2021. It detailed how community-led early childhood services had made a real difference in remote areas — not through grand gestures, but through consistent, culturally grounded support. The kind of thing that doesn't make headlines but quietly changes lives.
Later that afternoon, a mate dropped by, stamping…
It’s good to see an evaluation ritzo casino that actually puts Indigenous families at the centre, not just as data points but as partners in the process. The co-design method and the focus on culturally safe, holistic services feel like the right way to approach this work. I hope the findings lead to real, long-term support rather than just another report gathering dust on a shelf.