Support for mobile families
Assistance for mobile families
We provide a variety of support programs to reduce the impact of relocation on your family, including:
- assistance with partner’s education and employment,
- help with childcare,
- support for children’s education, and
- practical assistance for dependants with special needs.
Support in your new posting
You can seek support, resources or referrals any time from the all‑hours Defence Family Helpline on 1800 624 608. The Helpline is staffed by qualified human services professionals, including social workers and psychologists and is available 24-7.
If required, our social workers can supply short-term casework and counselling services to help you through any difficulties.
We also have a range of special support for children transitioning into a new school and community.
The SMART programs
Learn techniques to help you cope with the stressors and challenges of the military lifestyle in FamilySMART, a series of interactive group sessions delivered by local offices. Identify your strengths and discover ways to become more resilient, self-reliant and proactive.
For more details, click on the FamilySMART tab in our Support for partners section.
We also run KidSMART and TeenSMART programs for children, helping them to build their self-esteem and develop strategies to accept and deal with change.
For more details, click on the For kids tab in the Programs and products for kids section.
You can read more about looking after your mental health and wellbeing in challenging times like relocation.
Connecting with your new community
Your new community will have a wealth of support in place for you to draw on. You can access our directory of Defence- and community‑run groups, organisations and events to find out what’s on offer in your local area. Actively engaging with your community will help you to get orientated more quickly and smoothly, identify community resources, find people with similar interests or experiences and create new support networks for yourself and your family.
Defence and community groups also often hold events and activities which support and assist mobile Defence families, such as welcome and farewell events, meet-and-greets or days out in the region.
Connecting with your community
More information
For more information about the support available for mobile families, contact the all-hours Defence Family Helpline on DefenceFamilyHelpline@defence.gov.au or 1800 624 608.
'Like' the DCO Facebook page to receive updates and info
