The heart of community care in Melbourne since 1896

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Our Story

Kids First Australia is a proudly independent national child, youth and family services provider and early education specialist. Our vision is for all children and young people to thrive in resilient, strong and safe families and communities.

In 2023 Whitelion Youth, a leading national youth services agency merged into Kids First. In coming together we are committed to breaking cycles of disadvantage to shape bright, thriving futures. It is with great pride we stand together under the Kids First Australia banner to improve the life trajectories of children and young people.

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Our Story

Everything we do is underpinned by our guiding principle of ‘HEART’ – Hope, Empowerment, Accountability, Respect and Trust - the values which bind our culture, purpose and vision.

Our Vision

All children and young people thrive in resilient, strong and safe families and communities.

What we do

In the universal setting of kindergartens, we pair early childhood development knowledge with our understanding of family dynamics to create the right conditions for thriving young learners. In settings like schools, we work directly with students to promote behaviours that exist in healthy relationships.

Our youth work includes outreach, and mentoring to build confidence, connection and pathways for young people to engage with education and employment pathways.

We reach out in our local community, engaging with families experiencing little bumps, and big ones, that impact their confidence as parents and their child's wellbeing. And we are there to work with children, young people and adults to assist their recovery from trauma.

Want to be part of our dedicated team? Click here to work with us!

Interested to volunteer with us? Click here to volunteer with us!

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What we do

Our Purpose

To improve the life trajectories of children and young people.

A Journey of Hope and Resilience

Safeguarding children for 125 years
written by Lucy Bracey and Fiona Poulton, Way Back When Consulting Historians

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A Friend of the Friendless: 1896 – 1924
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Times of Change: 1960 – 1973
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Challenges Ahead: 1974 – 1984
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A New Era: 1985 – 1999
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A New Era: 1985 – 1999
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Continuing Commitment: 2000 – 2016
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Child Safety Policy & Procedure

Kids First is committed to promoting and protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of all children. We have zero tolerance for child abuse and harm. Our vision is that:

"All children and young people thrive in resilient, strong and safe families and communities."

This policy underpins Kids First's vision, mission and values to support and improve the safety and wellbeing of children, young people and families, and places children's best interests at the heart of all decisions made at services delivered by Kids First.

Find the privacy policy here.

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Child Safety Policy and Procedure
Approved Date: Oct 22
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