Victorian Family Preservation and Reunification Response

Working to both preserve and reunite families

UMFC’s Victorian Family Preservation, Reunification and Response Program (VFPRR) aims to support and empower you and your family towards long lasting change.

On this page:

How we do it
This is achieved with an initial phase of rapid, intensive, and flexible support delivered by the VFPRR Practitioner by completing in home visits for approximately 1 hour at a time, up to three times per week (approximately 200 hours). Our VFPRR team will work alongside you and your family to create or enhance supportive and lasting networks and resources to meet the needs of your family.

You and your children will be supported to engage in with other services including:

  • Medical Services
  • Mental Health Services
  • AOD Services
  • Family Violence Services
  • Education and any other supports that your family needs.

This intensive response is then followed by a stepping out process where the VFPRR Practitioner supports you and your family to transition to other services or community supports of a less intensive nature (approximately 40 hours).

Further information on VFPRR
VFPRR provides an approach for your children and family to have the right support, when and where you need it most and with the right team of people.

We provide a partnership between UMFC and Child Protection to support your family to build capacity to keep your children safe through two key objectives:
• Family preservation – creating safety at home and preventing removal and placement into care.
• Family reunification – creating safety so children can be returned to their home from out of home care.

Your VFPRR Practitioner will work with your family to create safe and nurturing environments for your children. You will be supported through therapeutic interventions and practical supports to help reach not only your shortterm goals but also to help your family thrive into the future.

Your VFPRR Practitioner will work with your family to create safe and nurturing environments for your children. You will be supported through therapeutic interventions and practical supports to help reach not only your shortterm goals but also to help your family thrive into the future.

Parents/carers and Children will be invited to participate in care team meetings to ensure you and your children are the leaders in the change. Care teams are held with any services and support people you may have involved with your family that you feel are relevant to include such as CP Practitioners, schools/child care, Mental Health workers, AOD workers, extended family members, carers and any other relevant support people.

UMFC walk alongside children, young people and families to achieve positive outcomes and sustainable change.

Joint Work with DFFH Child Protection
You can only be referred to the VFPRR Program by DFFH Child Protection. There will be a period of joint work where your family is supported by both UMFC VFPRR Practitioner and your Child Protection (CP) Practitioner.

This joint work may occur for part or all of the engagement period with the VFPRR Program depending on the court orders. During this time VFPRR Practitioner and CP Practitioner will be in communication on a weekly basis to ensure that your family’s support needs are being met. The VFPRR Practitioner will send a weekly summary to the CP Practitioner outlining what work has been undertaken between your family and the VFPRR Practitioner.

This summary will share information including what is going well, worries, and what future steps are going to be taken to reduce the worries. You will be made aware of all information shared with CP in these summaries. During the joint work period you will be invited to participate in care team meetings which will include your VFPRR Practitioner, CP Practitioner and any other services you feel are relevant to include.

Please note that access to UMFC’s Child and Family Services VFPRR Program is only available through Child Protection Navigator. DFFH Wangaratta 03 5722 0555