FAR NORTH COUNTRY REGION (COOBER PEDY/OODNADATTA)
AFSS has provided child and family support services to the Northern Country region for over 20 years. Prior to the Alternative Care Review in 1997 the Northern Country Aboriginal Community received services through Aboriginal Child Care Agency (ACCA) now known as AFSS.
Port Augusta has been the nucleus of the service with services radiating to Yorke Peninsula, Port Pirie and Whyalla. Over the past three years AFSS has provided Coober Pedy with culturally appropriate and child protection advice from the Pt Augusta office.
In April 2006, discussions with AFSS and the Department for Families and Communities began regarding AFSS providing an Alternative Care service to the Coober Pedy and Oodnadatta areas.
AFSS has been successful in securing funding for the ensuing twelve months to provide foster care and family preservation services to the local Aboriginal community. In addition funding has been provided to develop and run an Emergency Respite House for Aboriginal children and young people who are unable to remain in their parents care.
The Foster Care Program works closely with the Aboriginal community to ensure culturally appropriate foster carers are available to care for Aboriginal children and young people when they are unable to live with their birth family. AFSS role is to source, recruit, assess, train and support members of the Aboriginal community to ensure a safe and culturally strong placement is available for Aboriginal children and young people entering the out of home care system.
The Family Preservation Program works with the birth family to address the issues that has placed their family in a state of crisis. At times children may be removed from the care of their parents due to Child Protection matters. AFSS works with the family to access appropriate services to address the issues that have caused the family crisis or at worst the removal of their child or children. Reconnection and ultimately reunification is the goal of this program as AFSS is committed to building capacity for families to care and nurture their children.
AFSS will also be implementing a number of Community Well Being programs that have been successfully running in the metropolitan and regional areas. AFSS has also been contracted to provide a service to assist the local community staff deal with the effects of problem gambling. The program, A Safe Bet, is currently being developed and soon to be operating in the region by November 2006.
For more information regarding the Far North Country program, please contact the

Coordinator, Northern Country
Aboriginal Family Support Services
47 Commercial Road, Pt Augusta  SA   5700
Telephone 08 86410907 or Fax 08 86411210
Email: afss@afss.com.au