You and your kids are important and have the right to be safe at home and in the community.
Creating a safe and supportive home where kids and teens feel comfortable to play, talk, or relax is really important.Kids should feel heard and valued so that they are comfortable to share their feelings and thoughts about what is going on at home.
From babies to toddlers to teens, kids have different challenges.
Sometimes, kids’ behaviour can be tricky so it’s helpful to know that there might be lots of reasons for this. When you understand the reason, you can then choose an appropriate response and give them the support they need.Positive approaches can guide, teach, and support their development rather than control their behaviour.
A warm and loving relationship with your kids, helps you to have a positive approach to parenting.
But sometimes we need family and friends to give us a break, or teachers and child carers to provide advice, or community services to help us deal with bigger issues.
Getting information and support early can help kids and their families stay safe and well.
Whatever your family situation, ASK can help.
It’s ok to ASK for help. ASK is a safe place.
Information for you
The Families Growing Together program offers parents and carers a range of face-to-face workshops and online webinars to suit their parenting needs.
For Aboriginal families and communities, a co-design process is used to tailor the workshops.
- My Child and Me – a two-part workshop for parents of children aged 2–12 years
- Living with Young People – a two-part workshop for parents of children aged 12–18 years
- Growing and learning in the family — a two-part workshop to support parents to connect with their child through play
- Coping Skills – a two-part workshop exploring stress and resilience
Delivered in a relaxed and informal style, these workshops and webinars offer parents helpful information and a choice of simple, practical strategies based on the latest parenting research and using information from Parenting SA.
Workshops and webinars are all live and free and are designed to be interactive with videos, activities and time for parents to discuss information together in small groups or through the chat function.
Parenting SA provides the community with free quality information on raising children.
Parenting SA videos
- Positive discipline strategies for every family (YouTube 11.30 mins)
- Seminars, videos and recorded events
- Toddlers and big feelings (YouTube 2 hours)
- Sleep and toddlers (7.45 mins)
- Living with teenagers (4.45 mins)
Parenting Easy Guides
The Early Years SA App is designed for the first five years of a child’s life. It allows families to:
- Source trusted and credible information,
- Filter by the child’s age,
- Record growth measurements for your child,
- Be notified about due dates for health and development checks, immunisations, dental check ups and school enrolment, and
- Connect with providers such as Child and Family Health Services, KidSafe, ForWhen and PANDA.
The app does not replace the Blue Book, which you will be provided with when your baby is born, but allows you to record or access more information to support you with your child.
Download the Early Years App from the Apple Store or Google Play.
Raising Children Network provides ad-free parenting videos, articles and apps backed by Australian experts
Free, reliable, up-to-date and independent information to help you and your family grow and thrive together, including:
Multiple Birth South Australia is a welcoming, inclusive community that celebrates with families the joy of a multiple birth, and understands the unique challenges experienced by those in a multiple birth family. They provide multiple birth families with practical support, including Home Help Service, free feeding pillow hire, webinars, events and a network of connections.
Circle of SecurityTM is for parents and families with kids aged 6 and under, to better understand your relationship and ways to meet their needs. The course is offered by several providers, including:
Support is available for families who provide foster or kinship care, including advice, home visits and support.
Families who are caring for Aboriginal children and young people who have been removed from the family home can access kinship care support and respite through the Department of Child Protection.
Connecting Foster & Kinship Carers - SA (CFC-SA) is the peak body for Foster and Kinship Carers in South Australia, and is committed to ensuring Carers are recognised as vital partners within the child protection system. They provide individual and systemic advocacy, information, education and support to the carer community across South Australia.
Grandcarers SA supports grandparents and other unpaid kinship carers who may be struggling with complexities of caring for children in their full time care.
Health direct provides advice on symptoms and finding a health service or information. Use their website or phone 1800 022 222 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
A general practitioner (GP) is a doctor who looks after a people’s health in the community. A GP can help you with physical, mental and emotional health through check-ups, health screening, and early treatment. Having a ‘regular’ GP allows them to get to know your medical history, your family’s medical history, and helps with achieving an overall view of your health.
Children and young people aged between 6 months and 17 years, who live in South Australia, can be seen in the Child and Adolescent Virtual Urgent Care Service 7 days a week from 9:00am to 9.00pm through the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
SA Dental provides services to all kids under 18 years of age if they live or go to school in South Australia. They may be covered by the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) for some or all of the costs.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has information about products to ensure babies are safe when sleeping, moving, being soothed, playing and bathing. This information is for parents and carers to think about when purchasing, installing, and using baby products, to keep babies safe.
Families can also access the latest list of product recalls for any baby and children's items.
Services for you
Child and Family Health Service (CaFHS) supports all SA families with babies and kids 0 to 5 years. They have a focus on 0 to 3 years and can help you with:
- feeding, settling, children's milestones and development checks
- information and suggestions for parents and caregivers.
CaFHS Parent Helpline gives information and support over the phone to parents and carers of children from birth to five years.
Phone 1300 364 100
CaFHS Early Parenting Groups
Phone 1300 733 606
Early Parenting Groups in your area
These centres offer a range of services bringing together education, health, community development activities and services for families.
Services may include:
- preschools
- long day care
- occasional care
- playgroup
- programs to support families with children from birth to school age.
Strong Families, Strong Communities provides earlier help and support to families who may be experiencing family violence, alcohol and other drug use, mental or physical health concern or housing stress.
The service supports families with children of all ages, from pre-birth to adolescence, providing tailored support to:
- families with infants at risk
- young parents
- adolescents with complex trauma
- Aboriginal families with multiple and complex needs
- culturally and linguistically diverse families (CALD).
Find a provider for help and support on the Department of Human Services website.
Providing individual and group support before, during and after pregnancy and while you’re parenting. MY Health also has nurses, midwives, doctors and counsellors. MY Health is free and confidential for young people aged 12 to 25 years.
Angle Park office, phone 8243 5637
Christies Beach office, phone 8326 6053
Elizabeth office, phone 8255 3477
Talking Realities Young Parenting Program, phone 8243 5637
Playgroup SA is a non-profit, community-based organisation which is committed to providing quality services to families with young children across South Australia.
MyTime is for parents and carers of kids with a disability, developmental delay or chronic medical condition. It’s a place for parents to unwind and talk about their experiences.
Family by Family links families up with other families to make changes they want in their lives. All Australian families deserve to thrive, not just survive. Thriving families are moving towards what they want: they try new things, plan for the future, connect family members to new opportunities, and offer positive feedback and mutual support.
Phone 7230 5475
Email hello@familybyfamily.org.au
Grandcarers SA supports informal grandparent and kinship carers (Grandcarers) across South Australia.
There are Grandcarer ‘Village’ support meetings (held monthly across the state), a telephone helpline and limited financial support for the education of children in the full-time care of registered clients.
No referral required.
Phone 8212 1937
Email contactus@grandcarers.au
Centacare Catholic Family Services
Centacare's Family Dispute Resolution team helps separated parents and grandparents to make decisions about parenting, care arrangements and division of property. The service is child-focussed, with the needs and interests of children and young people at the centre of any agreements reached, and is guided by accredited Practitioners working within the family law framework.
Family Dispute Resolution is offered in person in the office or over the phone.
Phone 8215 6700
Email fdr@centacare.org.au
Relationships Australia (South Australia) – iKiDs children's counselling
iKiDs is for children and young people from the age of five whose parents have been separated for no more than three years. Counselling through iKiDs (I Know I Do) provides a safe, friendly and confidential way for children to talk about what they are feeling or thinking.
Phone 8245 8100
Be part of a supportive group and learn more about parenting.
The Young Parent Project is a group-based program that offers information on a wide range of topics, support from peer mentors and connection with other young parents.
The program is offered for two groups, parents aged 25 years and under, and parents aged 15 years and under.
The program runs for 16 weeks with free lunch and creche provided.
Location: Hackham Community Centre (Junction), 72 Collins Parade, Hackham SA 5163
Phone: 0427 091 713
Someone to talk to
Parent Helpline South Australia is for parents of children 0 to 5 living in South Australia.
Phone 1300 364 100 (24-hour service)
1800 RESPECT is a national sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line for any Australian who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault.
Phone 1800 737 732 (24-hour service)
The Women's Information Service provides information to South Australian women.
They do this:
- online
- over the phone
- in person at their shopfront in the city.
WIS aims to increase access to information that promotes choice and empowerment. They offer an anonymous service.
Free phone 1800 188 158
Phone 8303 0590
Shopfront: 101 Grenfell Street, Adelaide
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9.00 am to 5.00 pm
Mensline Australia offers free professional telephone counselling support for men with concerns about mental health, anger management, family violence (using and experiencing), addiction, relationship, stress and wellbeing.
Phone 1300 78 99 78 (24-hour service)
The Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) runs the National Breastfeeding Helpline 1800 mum 2 mum (1800 686 268). The Breastfeeding Helpline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is staffed by trained, volunteer counsellors who answer calls on a roster system in their own homes.
Phone 1800 686 268 (1800 MUM 2 MUM) (24-hour service)