Uniting Celebrates National Families Week

This week, UnitingCare West is acknowledging National Families Week across our service hubs. We will be encouraging our staff and volunteers to take the time to reflect on the critical role that families play in teaching, supporting and nurturing children as they grow.

The aim of National Families Week is to celebrate the vital role that families play in Australian society. This year’s theme of ‘Stronger families, stronger communities’ highlights the importance of families to communities and that community wellbeing is enhanced by family wellbeing.

National Families Week is a time to think about what individuals and organisations can do in the local community to enhance the wellbeing children and families and to make all families stronger.

With this in mind, UnitingCare West is currently consulting with our staff and people who access our services to roll out a place based approach that will make our services more accessible to more people, more of the time. We have worked with the people we serve, staff, volunteers, external stakeholders and the wider community to develop new approaches to how we design and deliver our services. Our goal is that there is no wrong door for anyone looking for support, guidance or connection in their community.

UnitingCare West believe communities thrive when everyone has a sense of belonging, hope and purpose. Through supporting National Families Week, we hope to move one step closer to an inclusive society.

What is National Families Week?

National Families Week is timed to coincide with the United Nations International Day of Families on 15 May. This day is observed by the United Nations to mark the importance that the international community places on families as the most fundamental units of society, as well as to show concern about their situation in many parts of the world. The United Nations theme in 2018 is ‘Families and inclusive societies’.

National Families Week is managed by Families Australia, a national, peak, not-for-profit organisation which strives to improve the wellbeing of all Australian families and is sponsored by the Australian Government Department of Social Services. More information can be found at www.nfw.org.au.