Department of Children and Families

What Department of Children and Families does

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is a Northern Territory Government agency established on 10 September 2024 through machinery-of-government changes that separated child and family services from the former Territory Families, Housing and Communities department. It operates as a multi-functional human services portfolio delivering child protection investigations, out-of-home care placement, family support referrals, foster and kinship care programs, domestic, family and sexual violence prevention and response, and homelessness services across the Northern Territory of Australia.

The department's service delivery relies on a combination of regional office infrastructure (five offices spanning Darwin, Barkly, Big Rivers/Katherine, Central Australia/Alice Springs, and Top End), telephone hotlines (Territory FACES 1800 999 900, foster carer 1800 367 837), and digital platforms. Its proprietary 360 Degree View of the Child (360VoC) system provides automated, read-only integration of child-related data across six NT Government agencies — Health, Education and Training, Attorney-General, NT Police Force, Corrections, and Housing — supported by a Master Data Management layer for identity matching. The CARE Services portal enables online reporting of child protection concerns and foster/kinship carer applications.

DCF is funded through Northern Territory Government appropriations with additional Commonwealth contributions for specific programs such as disaster recovery funding and the Supported and Safe Integrated Tenancy Program. The department reports to Minister Hon Robyn Cahill OAM and is led administratively by CEO Brent Warren, with executive directorates covering Homelessness and DFSV Prevention. Service delivery is heavily reliant on partnerships with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, national NGOs, and contracted service providers.

Name

Department of Children and Families

Legal name

Department of Children and Families (Northern Territory Government of Australia)

Website

https://families.nt.gov.au

Company type

Public

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Department of Children and Families is a Northern Territory Government agency established in September 2024 to deliver child protection, out-of-home care, domestic and family violence prevention, homelessness services, and foster and kinship care across the NT, operating through five regional offices, the 360VoC data platform, and partnerships with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Child and Family Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Legal Aid) (BPADADAH), Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD), Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Child protection services
• Family support services
• Homelessness support
• Out-of-home care
• Domestic violence prevention

Headquarters

HQ city

Darwin

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Department of Children and Families delivers statutory child protection and out-of-home care, foster and kinship care recruitment and support, family and youth support services, domestic/family/sexual violence prevention and response, and homelessness services across the Northern Territory of Australia. It also funds and oversees community service organisations to deliver frontline supports and maintains public reporting on the safety and wellbeing of children in care.

Product overview

The Department of Children and Families is a government human services agency providing a multi-product service portfolio across child protection, family support, and domestic violence services. The core offerings include the CARE Services online portal (for reporting and applications), Territory FACES telephone hotline (1800 999 900), Circuit Breaker Program for at-risk youth, and Quality Assurance Program for out-of-home care. Additional services include the 360VoC data management platform for integrated case management, family support resources (7 Steps to Safety, Tune in to Little Ones), domestic/family/sexual violence prevention and response services, and homelessness support including emergency accommodation and wet weather shelter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Territory FACES: Telephone hotline offering information about and referrals to support services throughout the Northern Territory.
• Circuit Breaker Program
• 360VoC (360 Degree View of the Child)
• CARE Services

Products and services

• Child Protection Services
• Foster and Kinship Care Program
• Homelessness Services
• Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Services
• Family and Youth Support Services
• CARE Services Online Portal
• Territory FACES Hotline
• 7 Steps to Safety Resource Kit
• Tune in to Little Ones Resource Kit
• Quality Assurance Program

Quantifiable outcome

• No evictions for tenants supported through Litchfield Court program
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mission AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission Australia delivers the Supported and Safe Integrated Tenancy Program at Litchfield Court public housing complex, combining tenancy support, cultural liaison, and after-hours security. The program was launched as a pilot in October 2024 and is funded at $1.36 million per year for 4 years until 30 June 2029.
• Anglicare NTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnglicare NT partnered with the department and NT Shelter to deliver Youth Homelessness Matters Day events, raising awareness of youth homelessness and the importance of early support.
• NT SheltercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNT Shelter partnered with the department for Youth Homelessness Matters Day events to raise awareness of youth homelessness across the Territory.
• City of DarwincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Darwin partnered with the department for Youth Homelessness Matters Day events, demonstrating local government collaboration on homelessness issues.
• Larrakia Nation Aboriginal CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLarrakia Nation Aboriginal Corporation operates the Wet Weather Respite service at YiSSA on Batten Road, Marrara, providing shelter for people sleeping rough during severe weather. The service can accommodate up to 40 people.
• Salvation ArmyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSalvation Army provides support to the Wet Weather Respite service operated by Larrakia Nation, supporting people sleeping rough during monsoonal conditions.
• Darwin YWCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDarwin YWCA supports the Wet Weather Respite service, providing additional assistance for women and children sleeping rough during severe weather.
• Australian Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian Red Cross is a key partner in the Welfare Functional Group response, supporting families as they settle into evacuation accommodation. Staff and volunteers are onsite around the clock to provide practical support.
• Australian Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian Red Cross works alongside the Department of Children and Families to support evacuees from Daly River flooding, helping people feel supported, heard and connected while away from home.
• Foster and Kinship Care NTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoster and Kinship Care NT partnered with the department at Midawarr Day event in Nhulunbuy, promoting the important role of kinship and foster carers in caring for children and strengthening families.
• National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartment partnered with NAPCAN to make Safer Communities for Children stories available online for Territory families. Previously used in schools and community programs, resources now accessible directly by families to help children aged 3-10 understand safety and recognise who they can trust.
• CREATE FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCREATE Foundation collaborated with NT young people and local rap artist Riley P to write and record an original song 'I won't give up' for World Care Day 2026, creating a youth-led songwriting workshop that provided a safe space for young people to express themselves.
• Yilli HousingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartment supports homelessness services in Darwin in cooperation with Yilli Housing, addressing the high rate of homelessness in the Northern Territory.
• Our WatchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOur Watch is Australia's independent organisation to prevent violence against women and their children. The NT Government works in partnership with Our Watch, contributing to violence prevention work nationally and hosting a primary prevention officer.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ACT Community Services Directorate: ACT's community services agency responsible for child protection, family support, and youth justice. Operates a similar integrated mandate though at smaller jurisdictional scale.
• NSW Department of Communities and Justice: NSW's lead agency for child protection, out-of-home care, family and community services, and homelessness. Closest functional analogue to NT DCF in scale, scope, and statutory remit, with a comparable mix of direct service delivery and contracted NGO provision.
• Victoria Department of Families, Fairness and Housing: Victorian state agency responsible for child protection, family services, housing and homelessness, and prevention of family violence. Operates a similar integrated human-services portfolio and statutory child protection model.
• WA Department of Communities: Western Australia's principal human services department covering child protection, family support, housing, and homelessness, with a strong remote and Aboriginal service delivery remit that mirrors NT DCF's regional footprint.
• SA Department of Human Services: South Australia's human services department delivering child protection, family support, and homelessness services. Comparable scope and regional delivery model, though smaller jurisdictional footprint.
• Queensland Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Youth Services: Queensland's specialist child protection agency, also covering youth justice and family support. Directly comparable to NT DCF's child protection, out-of-home care, and youth-at-risk functions.

Others

• Office of the Children's Commissioner (NT): Independent oversight body for child safety and wellbeing in the Northern Territory, listed as a subsidiary of DCF. Same child-safety mandate and dataset, focused on advocacy and review rather than service delivery.
• Mission Australia: National NGO delivering homelessness, youth, and family services. Direct service provider/contractor to NT DCF (Litchfield Court tenancy program) and a key delivery partner across Australian jurisdictions in the same service lines.
• Australian Red Cross: Humanitarian and emergency relief organisation co-delivering welfare functional group responses with NT DCF during floods and evacuations. Comparable in disaster welfare and community support delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Australian Department of Social Services: Australian Government department responsible for national social security, family support, and ageing policy, including financial co-funding of NT DCF programs. Broader federal-level peer with overlapping policy remit on family and child welfare.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TFHC.NT
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/children-and-families-nt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Department of Children and Families