Family Life works in alliance with the Department of Education to deliver School Focused Youth Services (SFYS) across all government, Catholic and Independent schools within the Frankston, Bayside and Kingston local government areas.

What services do we offer?

SFYS works in partnership with schools, education agencies and local community services to provide support to students who may be at risk of disengagement to remain positively engaged with their education.

SFYS has two main objectives:

• To increase the capacity of schools and educators to better support and respond to their students’ needs.
• To deliver evidence-based interventions to students at risk of disengagement.

How is Family Life’s School Focused Youth Service different?

The SFYS Coordinators at Family Life have extensive experience in the education system, with an understanding of how to work with schools to effectively support student engagement in education.

The SFYS Coordinator for Bayside/Kingston has been trained in the Neurosequential Model in Education (NME), an internationally acclaimed training program about the impact of trauma on sequential childhood brain development. This has enabled the delivery of professional development workshops to schools and entitled trauma-informed school communities, equipping schools to become more capable of integrating a trauma-informed perspective into their practices and learning environments.

Our SFYS Coordinators collaborate with internal Family Life services such as the Family Services Team and Early Help to give additional support to students’ families or to make referrals. We also collaborate with local agencies outside of Family Life to ensure that students have access to all of the services they require.

These are programs and services offered by the Department of Education’s Vulnerable Children’s Unit:

• Navigator – The Navigator program works to support disengaged young people with 30% or less attendance to return to education and learning.
• LOOK OUT – LOOKOUT centres are designed to boost the capacity of schools, carers, child protection practitioners and out-of-home care services to improve educational outcomes for children and young people living in out-of-home care.
• Frankston/Mornington Peninsula, and Bayside/Kingston/Glen Eira Local Learning and Employment Networks – helping young people stay engaged or re-engage with schooling. We do this by facilitating partnerships that help build the capacity of young people to attend education, build positive relationships with educators and develop the skills they will require to move on successfully to the next stage of their life.

How can I get in contact with School-Focused Youth Service?

Schools within Bayside, Kingston or Frankston can contact our School Focused Youth Service Coordinators here:

• Frankston: Krystel Butson Kbutson@familylife.com.au 
• Bayside/Kingston: Andrea Golshevsky agolshevsky@familylife.com.au
• (03) 8599 5433

Schools in other areas of Victoria can find their local SFYS Coordinators.

Above image captured during the 2023 Term 3 SFYS Dog Squad meeting at Aspendale Gardens Primary School, in their dedicated ‘Dog Therapy’ room.