Our staff

Ashleigh Daines - CEO

Ashleigh Daines commenced as the CEO of The Family Co. in October 2019. Read more

Michelle Fairweather - Operations Manager

Michelle Fairweather is the Operations Manager at The Family Co. Read more

Kim Byron - Child, Youth & Family Manager

Kim leads our dynamic and creative team at The Family Co Youth Services, providing a youth-centred, trauma informed practice that encourages self-expression and self-exploration for young people to develop their skills and identity, and explore their creativity through the programs and workshops on offer. Read more

Jade Lindsay - Toolbox Talks Project Manager

Jade joined SSFS in 2017 as the Project Manager for the Domestic Violence Toolbox Talks program which is a nationally available primary prevention and bystander intervention program for the workplace. Read more

Melissa Philbrook - BRIC Team Leader

Melissa is our newest member of the Executive Team, and brings a wealth of experience in Social Work to her role as Team Leader of our Building Resilience in Children (BRIC) Project. Read more

Amber Schacht - Youth Programs Coordinator

Amber Schacht is our Youth Programs Coordinator at The Family Co. She is passionate about the important work of helping support young people in our community. Read more

Belinda Harrison - Southern Sydney Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service Manager

Belinda Harrison is the Manager of the Southern Sydney Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service - which is funded by Legal Aid, but delivered by The Family Co. Read more

Lola Hearn - Administration & Facilities Manager

Lola started with The Family Co over 30 years ago, and is our Facilities and Administration Manager. Read more

Nicki Mead - Marketing Manager

Nicki Mead is our Marketing Manager looking after our website, social media, events and collateral. Read more

Latest

Building Resilience in Children - School Outreach Programs

Our Building Resilience in Children team now offer a range of customisable programs for Sutherland Shire and Georges River schools with the aim to strengthen the understanding of the impact of trauma on children, to support parents and staff to respond to children’s trauma symptoms, and to offer groups to children to develop skills to regulate their emotions.
Our Reconciliation Action Plan

Our goal is that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people, families and communities have access to culturally safe services so that they are connected to their community, identity and culture. Our inclusive practices will contribute to and celebrate a shared understanding and knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rich heritage, histories, traditions, and evolving cultures.
Building Resilience in Children Parenting Workshops for Jannali Public School parents

This program will be about learning how to parent in ways that support building resilience in children – we will use ideas from neuroscience to understand where challenging behaviour is coming from and look at how we can respond to children in ways that support wellbeing, self confidence and resilience.
National Reconciliation Week 2022

May 27 - June 3 is National Reconciliation Week (NRW), a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

About Us

We exist because all children and families should have a safe home, strong connections and opportunities to thrive in life.
Family Caseworker Program

Family Workers provide assistance to families who, for a variety of reasons, would benefit from additional support.
How to Refer

Help is easy to access. You can be referred by a health professional or another agency, or self-refer. Just call us on (02) 9528 2933 and tell us what you need help with.
Group Programs Schedule

Each term, we publish a calendar of events for programs we offer. This includes our Parenting Support Programs, Early Childhood and Educational Support Programs and Domestic Violence Support Programs.
Support for Parents & Families

We offer services that support and strengthen the capacity of families, build parenting skills, and promote safety for all family members.
Volunteer

Volunteering is a great way to help us! We're a lean and specialised team, and while we don't allow volunteers in client facing capacities, we are very grateful to have volunteers who can assist with admin, marketing and events. If you're interested, we'd love to hear from you!
Southern Sydney Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service

The Southern Sydney Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service (SSWDVCAS) provides information, advocacy and referrals for women and families attending Sutherland and Kogarah Local Courts for Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders.
Youth and Family Worker

The Youth & Family Worker provides a range of support, information and referrals which assist young people aged 12-18 years, their families and carers, in and environment that is non-judgemental, safe and friendly.
Building Resilience in Children (BRIC)

Building Resilience in Children (BRIC) is a highly effective, trauma-informed, attachment parenting service designed to rebuild the relationship of the parent and child following domestic violence and trauma.
Learning about Australian Animals sparks joy in Djanaba kids

Last week the Djanaba Occasional Care team integrated a learning unit on Australian Animals, with the children showing great interest in the varied activities from reading, to art, to games, that helped them learn all about koalas, kangaroos, and other native fauna.