Timings
We have begun our commissioning process with further timings to be shared, this is where we are at:
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Discovery July - September 2022
Draft CYFSP Discovery Discussion Paper developed and Expression of Interest for co-designers to join the CYFSP Commissioning Engagement Working Group, CYFSP Commissioning Engagement Working Group designed and developed the CYFSP Commissioning Collaboration and Engagement Plan
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Strategise - key documents released October to December 2022
CYFSP Commissioning Collaboration and Engagement Plan and Draft CYFSP Discovery Discussion Paper
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Strategise - collaboration activities February to April 2023
Workshops and World Café
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Design May - June 2023
Collaboration activities through workshops and mapping
November 2025
Phase 1 funding open – CYFSP System Support Services Grant
The CYFSP System Support Services Grant is now open. Applications close 3:00 pm on 15 December 2025.
You can read about the grant and how to apply at Funding to promote system support for the children, youth and family sector.
September 2025 - Progress Update
Phase 1 of the CYFSP Strategic Implementation Plan
We continue to make steady progress behind the scenes on Phase 1 of the CYFSP Commissioning process. While we are not yet in a position to confirm specific timeframes for the grant process, we will share more detailed timeframes once all necessary approvals are in place.
Phase 1 commenced with the release of the updated Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) in May 2025 and includes:
- Establishing the Connection and Coordination Service (formerly Network Coordination),
- Developing and establishing the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, and
- Undertaking Service Mapping in collaboration with Network Coordinators.
This phase is scheduled to conclude by December 2025, followed by a transition period from January to June 2026.
Although we’ve experienced some minor delays against our original timeframes, we are actively working to ensure these do not impact the overall delivery schedule.
We appreciate your continued patience and engagement as we work towards a stronger, more coordinated CYFSP.
May 2025
We are pleased to announce the release of the updated Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) for the Child, Youth and Family Services Program (CYFSP) Commissioning process.
This updated SIP reflects the valuable feedback received during the consultation period and outlines the approach that will be taken to move towards the new CYFSP.
We sincerely thank all stakeholders for their contributions, patience, and continued engagement throughout the process.
The updated Strategic Implementation Plan is now available:
March 2025
The Commissioning of the Child, Youth and Family Services Program (CYFSP) is still in progress. We acknowledge that this is taking longer than anticipated.
Feedback throughout this process has emphasised the importance of careful planning to ensure that future services meet community needs to a high standard. To achieve this, we need to make sure our investment processes are carefully planned and thoughtfully implemented.
To ensure service continuity while the commissioning process is being finalised, CSD is extending the existing programs to 2027, with the intent to have all new CYFSP services in place by 30 June 2027.
Timeline
The CYFSP will take a phased approach to grant/procurement processes. This staggered approach will ensure that system support functions are in place to support the transition of frontline service delivery components. This approach allows for a collaborative and partnered approach to better support the CYFSP sector.
| Stage | Key Dates |
|---|
Strategic Implementation Plan | Release Date: Between Late March and Mid-April |
Phase 1:
- System Support– Coordination and Connection (Currently Network Coordination)
- System Support: Develop and Establish Monitoring and Evaluation Framework | Start Date: April 2025 End Date December 2025 |
| Phase 1 Transition | Start Date: January 2026 End Date: June 2026 |
Phase 2:
- Preventative Early Support
- Targeted Support
- Intensive and Therapeutic Services
- Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) - Integrated Support
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander - Integrated Support | Start Date: January 2026 End Date: December 2026 |
| Phase 2 Transition | Start Date: January 2027 End Date: June 2027 |
CYFSP Background
Together, we are already reforming statutory and non-statutory services to improve the wellbeing of children, young people, and their families.
This work includes implementing Next Steps for Our Kids, the Our Booris Our Way recommendations, and developing a Charter for Parents and Families involved with ACT child protection services.
Commissioning extends our conversations and reform activities with a specific focus on ensuring the Child, Youth and Family Services Program (CYFSP) supports better outcomes for families at risk.
Commissioning is our opportunity to ensure our services effectively meet the needs of our growing population with the ACT being home to 143,548 children and young people, and 119,752 families.
Cycle: 1
Commissioner: Community Services Directorate
Status: Invest
The CYFSP commissioning process has now entered the 'invest phase'. The Invest phase provides an opportunity to define our approach to market and investing in Child, Youth and Family services which meet the needs of the ACT community, in accordance with the Territory’s Value for Money Considerations.
Discover
The Discover phase provides an opportunity to develop a good understanding of the challenges, issues, gaps, and opportunities by bringing information together. It’s a time to document what is already known and what could be possible to explore through the commissioning cycle.
From late 2022 to late 2023, CYFSP undertook a range of engagement and collaboration activities with a wide range of people including those accessing services or who have accessed services in the past, frontline workers as well as leaders of organisations involved in providing support services to children, young people, and families.
We collaborated across the ACT Government to understand the service landscape supporting children, young people, and families in Canberra.
What we looked at, listened to, and shared
We sought insights, perspectives and experiences that helped us understand:
- What service gaps you have identified
- What emerging needs you have identified
- How your organisation is providing services
- Any new or emerging groups you have identified for targeted services
- What are meaningful measures and indicators
- Lived experiences of people accessing services
- Solutions or ideas or innovations that could meet the service needs
- How to develop better linkages and coordination across service delivery
This table is a schedule of engagement and collaboration activities, including copies of listening reports (summary of discussion and key themes) and key background information for each activity.
Strategise
The Strategise phase provides an opportunity to consolidate a wide range of data and information through a Needs Assessment. In the Strategise phase, we work with sector partners and people with a Lived Experience to validate the needs of the community, better understand service provision, identify service gaps and duplication, and consider what service and community outcomes are possible through Commissioning.
This table is a schedule of our engagement and collaboration activities, including copies of listening reports (summary of discussion and key themes) and key background information for each activity:
*Listening Report #7 will combine all the lived experience insights (World Café, one on one interviews, YourSay surveys) into one document.
Design
The Design phase is where essential collaboration between commissioner, sector partners, service providers and other stakeholders takes place. The Design phase enables us to examine, shape and involved services, and align key service models and characteristics with desired health and wellbeing outcomes for the community.
**Combined Insights Reports combines everything that was heard through the engagement and collaboration activities and puts forward recommendations for the investment phase.
Invest
The Invest phase provides an opportunity to define our approach to market and investing in child, youth and family services which meet the needs of the ACT community, in accordance with the Territory’s Value for Money considerations.
The draft Child, Youth and Family Services Strategic Investment Plan (the Plan) [PDF 989KB] released in 2024 for feedback.
| When | What |
|---|
7 March 2024 | CYFSP Strategic Investment Plan published for feedback |
4 April 2024 | Feedback period closed. |
Early 2025 | Final CYFSP Strategic Investment Plan released, and implementation begins. |
Deliver
The Deliver phase is all about delivering high quality Child, Youth and Family Services, monitoring the reach and impact of the services and drawing on lessons learned to inform future Commissioning cycles.
Integrate
The Integrate phase is about integrating the knowledge and experience gained from previous commissioning cycles into future commissioning cycles as part of a quality improvement and continuous system reform approach.
Related commissioning cycles
We are listening to, connecting with, and drawing from these related commissioning cycles:
Key links
We are referencing the following plans, strategies, and frameworks in this cycle:
Page updated: 11 Nov 2025
