The Family Support Program walks alongside families at different stages of their housing journey.
This may include support when a family is sleeping rough, when housing feels uncertain or under pressure, or when settling into a new home.
Support also extends to families where other needs are identified alongside housing, helping strengthen stability and wellbeing.
On this page:
Who we support
Families with at least one dependent child or young person under 18 (this includes pregnancy or reunification plans)
Families experiencing homelessness or housing instability, such as rough sleeping, temporary or overcrowded accommodation, or tenancy at risk.
Families able to safely connect with our outreach service.
Families living in the eligible area.
Location
We support families in the Southern Corridor, including Fremantle, Cockburn, Rockingham, Mandurah, and Kwinana.
When is FSP not the right fit?
Households without dependent children or pregnancy
Families with an open CPFS case (unless at the reunification stage)
Support
The types of support we offer:
Families living in tents, cars or public spaces can be referred, with their consent, by a professional support person, or self-refer.
If accepted, FSP provides outreach and works with the whole family to create a plan of need. Support may include essentials, safety planning, paperwork and ID, housing applications, school re-engagement, and links to health/community services. We remain alongside families as they move toward stability.
Some families are not sleeping rough but are living with ongoing uncertainty, for example, staying temporarily with relatives, moving between short-term options, or struggling to keep a tenancy. In these situations, FSP focuses on early, preventative work to keep families housed and reduce disruption.
Support centres on building stability and planning ahead. This may include advocacy with landlords or housing providers, assistance to maintain income and routines, and connecting families with services that strengthen wellbeing and resilience.
Moving into new housing can bring its own challenges. FSP supports families through this transition by helping them establish routines, manage finances, strengthen community connections, and ensure children and young people have consistent access to school, activities, and friends.
Eligibility
Eligibility for the Family Support Program
At least one dependent child or young person under 18 must be part of the family. This may include:
- A child living with the caregiver full-time or part-time (e.g. alternate
weekends, weekdays, or school holidays) - A pregnancy
- An active reunification plan where the child’s return home is realistic and in
their best interests (assessed case by case) - A child temporarily with kin or carers while the parent secures housing, where
reunification is an active goal - A child cared for by a kinship carer or legal guardian (including grandparents
with daily responsibility)
Families must be currently homeless or at risk of homelessness. This may include:
- Rough sleeping (car, tent, or public space)
- Crisis or temporary accommodation
- Couch surfing or overcrowded living
- Tenancy at risk due to financial stress, relationship breakdown, or wellbeing
concerns
Families need to be living in the Southern Corridor (including Fremantle, Cockburn, Rockingham, Mandurah, and Kwinana). Support is provided as an outreach service, so families must also be able to engage safely with workers in the community and consent to support.
- Households with adults only (no dependent children, no pregnancy, and no reunification plan)
- Families with an open CPFS case at the time of referral (except where there is a reunification plan following intensive support)
- FSP works alongside CPFS at the early intervention or reunification stage.
- If CPFS moves becomes an open case during FSP support, FSP may continue to work alongside the family only when: It is in the family’s best interests; CPFS remains the lead agency and; FSP's involvement focuses solely on agreed tasks that sit within the program's scope
Referrals
How to access the program
If you're a professional support provider with consent to refer your client to our program, please download and complete the FSP Referral Form and email it to us.
If you're wanting to learn more about this program, and if it's right for you, please contact us and a member of our team will have a chat with you and, where possible, connect you with the right services for you.
Need Help?
Contact St Pat’s
Phone 08 6372 4800
Reception Hours
8:30am – 4:30pm, Monday to FridaySt Pat’s in Rockingham and Mandurah
Click here to contact our Southern Corridor TeamLibrary Connect
Walyalup Civic Centre
151 High St, Fremantle
Tue & Thur 11:30am – 4:30pm
Wednesday 9am – 5pm
Sunday 9am – 2pm
St Pat’s Postal Address
PO Box 115 Fremantle 6959
If you’re supporting someone experiencing homelessness, or need to refer someone to St Pat’s Housing or one of our programs, please check the individual program eligibility requirements.
St Pat’s outreach teams engage with people experiencing rough sleeping across the Perth metropolitan region, with St Pat’s staff based in Fremantle, Kwinana, Rockingham and Mandurah. We work alongside people, building relationships of trust and supporting them to access safe, appropriate accommodation where available.
If you’re concerned about someone experiencing rough sleeping, including sleeping in their car, please give us a call or use the form below.
