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Independent Family Advocacy and Support available in Bayside

Victoria Legal Aid

Key Facts:

• As we commence National Child Protection Week (Sunday 7 to Saturday 13 September 2025), Victoria Legal Aid's Independent Family Advocacy and Support (IFAS) service expands to the Bayside Peninsula, completing its statewide rollout across Victoria
• IFAS provides non-legal advocacy and support to help parents navigate the child protection system, with dedicated advocates helping families understand their rights and options
• The 2021 evaluation showed IFAS diverted at least one in five families from court proceedings
• Originally launched in 2018 as a pilot, IFAS received funding for statewide expansion in 2024.

Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) is pleased to announce the expansion of its Independent Family Advocacy and Support (IFAS) service to eligible families living in the Bayside Peninsula, from today (Monday 8 September 2025).

IFAS is a unique service providing non-legal advocacy and support to parents and primary carers to help them navigate the child protection system and prevent issues from escalating.

IFAS connects parents and primary carers with dedicated, independent advocates who help them understand their rights and responsibilities, communicate with Child Protection and identify goals for their children’s care. IFAS is not a legal service, but can refer people to legal advice and other supports if needed.

‘The expansion is a significant step forward in ensuring all parents dealing with Child Protection have access to the supports they need to feel heard, understand their rights and be part of decisions about their children,’ said Associate Director Jackie Anders, from our Child Protection team.

‘This will create real and positive change for the child protection system and we encourage parents who think they may benefit from IFAS support to get in touch.’

Launched in 2018, IFAS originally operated as a pilot program in limited areas of the state. An independent evaluation of IFAS in 2021 found that IFAS diverted at least 20% of client families from court proceedings, with both parents and child protection workers seeing the benefits of non-legal support.

IFAS was last year funded by the Victorian Government and the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner to expand across Victoria for the first time in its history.

The statewide rollout began earlier this year and is now complete, with the final expansion to both the Bayside Peninsula and Gippsland regions today.

This follows IFAS expanding across metropolitan Melbourne, Geelong and the Barwon region, Horsham and the Wimmera South-West in March, then to Shepparton (Goulburn), Wodonga (Ovens Murray) and Mildura (Mallee) last month.

‘Having started with IFAS as a senior advocate and now as manager of a team of advocates based across Victoria, it is wonderful to see the growth of our service and know we can help more families in need,’ IFAS Manager Robyn Buchanan said.

‘They might start at a point where they feel they can’t even talk to a child protection practitioner and with our support, they’re calling them themselves, they’re fully engaged and that is incredibly rewarding to see.’

IFAS offers more intensive support to First Nations families, parents with an intellectual disability, families from a culturally and linguistically diverse background, parents subject to an unborn report, and parents who experienced child protection involvement when they were children.

‘Guided by our lived experience reference group, Shared Experience and Support, we are committed to providing inclusive and accessible services so people get help in a way that works for them,’ said Robyn.

‘The funding has also allowed us to expand the role of our lived experience consultant, further embedding their crucial knowledge and unique perspective into our everyday work.’

National Child Protection Week runs from Sunday 7 September to Saturday 13 September 2025.

ENDS

Spokesperson: IFAS Manager Robyn Buchanan is available for interview.

Contact details:

Senior Communications Advisor Crys Ja tel: 0457 483 780 email: [email protected]