Family Support Specialist (Family Connector)

Do you want to make a difference in the lives of young children and families? Join us as a Family Connector and play an important role in strengthening the early years system in the Armadale West community.

The Family Connector works alongside local families, schools, services and community partners to improve access to early years opportunities, strengthen connections and support better outcomes for children aged 0–4. This is a relationship-based, community-focused role for someone who is a great collaborator, systems thinker and creative problem solver. You’ll engage with families where they live, learn and connect, listen to their experiences and use their insights to help identify what is working, where gaps exist and how the local system can better respond to children and families.

54 reasons is Australia’s leading child rights organisation – no ordinary not-for-profit.    

A place where your purpose matters. Proudly part of the Save the Children Australia Group and global movement, we’re here to make sure that children and young people have their rights met and thrive, in all their diversity. 

With the child’s voice at the centre, we provide quality services to children and their caregivers, advocating with them so that children develop, learn, and are connected, safe and confident. Our people are proudly local, reflective of the communities we serve - in every state and territory, and across regions, remote areas and capital cities. 

It takes all types of personalities and talents to drive our organisation– yours included. We value a healthy work-life balance and ensure our people feel connected to each other and our impact. Learn from inspiring people and grow from a connection to our strong local and global networks. From our programs to our support services - this is the place to realise your purpose.  

A place to make a difference:  

In this full-time (or part-time, minimum 4 days per week) maximum-term role, you’ll work as part of the Armadale West Early Years Partnership to strengthen connections between families, services and the broader early years system.

The Family Connector is not a traditional case management role. Instead, you will engage with as many local families as possible, particularly families who may experience barriers to accessing services. You’ll build trusting relationships, listen to families’ experiences and priorities, connect families with relevant services and programs, and support access to early years services that promote children’s development, wellbeing and school readiness.

You’ll work primarily across three local schools and the Armadale Community and Family Centre, meeting families in places where they feel safe and comfortable. You’ll also work closely with the Early Years Partnership Local Working Group to support delivery of the Community Plan, strengthen collaboration between local services and further develop a sustainable local hub model.

You will make a difference by: 

• Building trusting, respectful relationships with local families with children aged 0–4, including families who may experience barriers to accessing services.
• Engaging with families through outreach, community activities, groups and informal opportunities to connect.
• Listening to families to understand their experiences, needs and priorities and identify barriers to accessing support.
• Connecting families with early years services, programs and other supports that promote children’s development, wellbeing and school readiness.
• Supporting families to navigate and access services, helping them connect with the right support at the right time.
• Building strong relationships with local schools, early years services, community organisations, government agencies and other key partners.
• Working collaboratively with services to strengthen connections, referrals and pathways for families.
• Bringing family and community voices into the Early Years Partnership Local Working Group and Community Plan.
• Supporting the Local Working Group to deliver the Community Plan and develop a sustainable local hub model.
• Identifying gaps, opportunities and practical solutions that can improve the way local services work together to support children and families.
• Using your local knowledge, relationships and understanding of family experiences to contribute to positive systems change across the early years sector.

A place to feel valued:

You are acreative and out of the box thinker who inspires and mobilises people into action, builds partnerships and is solutions focused.  The Family Connector role spans from a one-off provision of information or connections, through to working with families individually to ensure they get the support they require to address needs.

This role requires:

• Demonstrated experience building trusting and respectful relationships with families, particularly families experiencing vulnerability or barriers to accessing services.
• Experience using strengths-based, trauma-informed and family-centred approaches to engage with children, parents and caregivers.
• Knowledge and understanding of early childhood development and the services and supports that help children develop, learn and thrive.
• Demonstrated ability to connect families with appropriate services and support them to navigate local service systems.
• Strong community engagement skills and the ability to build relationships with families from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain strong collaborative relationships with schools, early years services, community organisations, government agencies and other stakeholders.
• A strong understanding of the importance of listening to family and community voices and incorporating these into service and community planning.
• A collaborative and systems-thinking approach, with the ability to identify gaps, opportunities and practical solutions.
• Creativity, initiative and a willingness to think differently about how services can better respond to local families and children.
• Ability to work independently while contributing positively to a place-based team and the broader Early Years Partnership.

A place to belong: 

54 reasons is proudly part of Save the Children Australia. We are a learning organisation that invests in the development and wellbeing of our people. Our workforce is approximately 1100 people strong, and proudly diverse, whether in race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexuality, cultures and beliefs. 

It takes all types of people to do the challenging work we do. We are diverse personalities, backgrounds and talents, embracing our differences as one strong and united team. We see and celebrate the unique value you bring to our organisation, and offer a range of rewards for your effort, including:  

• Award rate salary ( Level 4.1 - currently $46.70 per hour) plus access to full PBI salary packaging benefits - use this link to see how much this benefit could mean to you
• Supportive Managers – we provide professional supervision training and monthly supervision sessions so you can feel supported and build a career at Save 
• Internal employment and development opportunities  
• Support for workplace wellness, including access to our free, confidential Employee Wellbeing Program  
• Celebrate and feel supported in your diversity. We’ve established internal networks to support our diverse workforce, foster inclusion and allow you to bring your whole self to work (if that’s what you want!) (Pride@Save, Parents and Carers@Save, Mental Wellness Alliance, Disability@Save, First Nations Advisory Committee).  
• Extra leave to use in a range of ways to ensure you’re able to perform at your optimum

  

Follow this link for the full list of our employee benefits. 

  

Does this sound like the place for you? 

We’d love to hear from you. Submit your cover letter and resume below. 

Applications Close: Sunday October 11th, 2026

Position Description: Family Support Specialist (Family Connector) – EYP.

For more information about the program that the role works in, see our Program Profile. For any queries about this position, please contact Amanda Splatton 0458 018 894 or amanda.splatt@54reasons.org.au. Or for more information about a career at Save, visit our Careers Page.  

We have tested our application process with diverse groups in mind, with the intent to ensure its straightforward and accessible for all to apply. Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our culture and improve our ability to reach our most vulnerable client groups. But we also know there is no one-size fits-all when it comes to recruitment - so if we didn’t quite hit the mark for you, please let us know at people.culture@savethechildren.org.au. We’re dedicated to ensuring Save the Children Australia is a place where everyone can feel supported – no matter your race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexuality, neurodiversity, culture and beliefs.  

   

Save the Children Australia is a child-safe organisation. All employees are required to undergo a National Police Check, a Working with Children Check, and sign our Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct. We also support the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. You can read about the Scheme and our commitment to Safeguarding here.  

  

Save the Children is committed to providing and maintaining a safe working environment for its employees and client groups, consistent with our obligations under OH&S legislation. 

If you are having any issues with uploading your application for this role, please contact people.culture@savethechildren.org.au for further support.