The Department of Families, Youth and Community Care was previously known as the Department of Family and Community Services. The department’s responsibilities included a range of services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, neglected or abused children, juveniles in conflict with the law, people with disabilities, older people, the homeless, disadvantaged, and families in crisis. The Department ran the Therapeutic Adolescent Residential Assessment Unit, The Outlook Training and Resource Centre, the John Oxley Youth Detention Centre and the
Cleveland Youth Detention Centre. On 17 February 2001, the Department’s title was changed to the Department of Families.
ESTABLISHMENT:
This agency was previously known – from 25 Jan 1996 to 26 Feb 1996 – as the Family and Community Services Department, which superseded the Family Services and Aboriginal and Islander Affairs Department. The title was changed to Families, Youth and Community Care Department on 26 Feb 1996 after the general state elections, when the Department underwent structural changes.
ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE:
The department’s services were highly decentralised to effectively meet needs at a local level. It consisted of the Director-General, the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Youth Bureau, Division of Disability Services, Division of Community Services Development, Division of Protective Services and Juvenile Justice; also the Office of the Director General, Information Services and Finance and Organisational Services.
The regional structure was built around services to clients and aimed to allow the greatest possible flexibility so that services could be responsive to local needs. The five regions were Brisbane North, Brisbane South, South West Queensland, Central Queensland and North Queensland.