Creation

The Department of Family and Community Services was established on 21 October 1998, pursuant to the Administrative Arrangements Order of that date (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. S 514, 22 October 1998).

Abolition

The department was abolished on 27 January 2006. Most functions were transferred to the new Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, CA 9036.

Functions and activities

At its inception the Department dealt with the following principal matters:

Income security policies and programs
Services for people with disabilities and families with children
Community support services, excluding the Home and Community Care programme
Family relationships services
Welfare housing
Women’s policies and programmes

Legislation administered

The Department administers the following legislation:

Child Care Act 1972
Child Care Payments Act 1997
Child Care Payments (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Act 1997
Childcare Rebate Act 1993
Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989
Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988
Commonwealth and State Housing Agreements Acts
Commonwealth Services Delivery Agency Act 1997
Commonwealth Services Delivery Agency (Consequential Amendments) Act 1997
Data-matching Program (Assistance and Tax) Act 1990
Defence (Re-establishment) Act 1965, Parts V and VA
Defence (Transitional Provisions) Act 1946, section 13
Disability Services Act 1986
Family Law Act 1975, Parts II in relation to counselling organisations and XIVA
First Home Owners Act 1983
Home Deposit Assistance Act 1982
Home Savings Grants Acts
Homeless Persons Assistance Act 1974
Housing Agreements Acts
Housing Assistance Acts
Marriage Act 1961, Part IA Re-establishment and Employment Act 1945,Part VIII; Division 1 of Part XI insofar as it extends to Part VIII; Division 3 of Part XI; and Part XII insofar as it applies or may be applied to the foregoing
Social Security Act 1991
Social Security (Rewrite) Transition Act 1991
Social Welfare Commission (Repeal) Act 1976
States Grants (Housing) Act 1971
Supported Accommodation Assistance Acts

In the Amending Administrative Arrangements Order of 17 December 1998 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. GN 1, 6 January 1999), the following legislation was omitted:

Defence (Re-establishment) Act 1965, Parts V and VA and substituted with:
Defence (Re-establishment) Act 1965, Parts V and VA, and section 59 in respect of powers and functions under Parts V and VA

In the same Order, the following legislation was also omitted:

Family Law Act 1975, Parts II in relation to counselling organisations and XIVA and substituted with:
Family Law Act 1975, Part XIVA

In the Administrative Arrangements order of 21 November 2001 (Commonwealth of Australia Special Gazette No. S 468, 26 November 2001), the Department gained the responsibility for dealing with the matter of Youth Affairs, transferred from the abolished Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs (CA 8612).

In the Administrative Arrangements order of 16 December 2004 the following portfolio agencies have been moved to the new Department of Human Services:

• Child Support Agency
• Centrelink
• CRS Australia

In the Administrative Arrangement Order of 16 Dec 2004, there will be significant changes:

The focus of the department will be on providing policy advice, income support and assistance to families and their children, senior citizens and community groups.

The Department will now also be responsible for gender issues and the ‘Office of Status of Women’ will move to FaCS from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C).

In the amendment some programs were transferred to Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) and Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST)

Following portfolio agencies have been moved to the new Department of Human Services:

Child Support Agency
Centrelink

In the amendments the matter of ‘Women’s’ policies and programmes’ was added to those dealt with by the Department:

The following legislation was removed from the administration of the Department:

Commonwealth Services Delivery Agency Act 1997
Commonwealth Services Delivery Agency (Consequential Amendments) Act 1997
First Home Owners Act 1983

The following legislation was added to those administered by the Department:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Act 1989, section 200
Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989, except to the extent administered by the Minister for Human Services
Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988, except to the extent administered by the Minister for Human Services
Disability Services Act 1986, except to the extent administered by the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (More Help for Families – One-off Payments) Act 2004
Social Security Act 1991, except to the extent administered by the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and the Minister for Education, Science and Training
Social Security (Administration) Act 1999, except to the extent administered by the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and the Minister for Education, Science and Training

In the Administrative Arrangement Order of 27 January 2006, the following matters dealt with by the Department were added to those administered by the Department:

Indigenous affairs and reconciliation.

This resulted in a name change for the Department, from the Department of Family and Community Services to the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. A new RecordSearch Agency was registered to reflect this revised name and change of function (see CA 9036).

Administrative structure

Ministers to the Department of Family and Community Services have been:

21 Oct 1998 - 30 Jan 2001      : Senator the Hon Jocelyn Newman
30 Jan 2001 - 7 Oct 2003        : Senator the Hon Amanda Vanstone (CP 646)
7 Oct 2003 - 27 Jan 2006        : Hon Kay Patterson

Secretaries to the Department of Family and Community Services have been:

21 Oct 1998 – 26 Nov 2001 : Dr David M Rosalky

Sources

Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. S 512, 21 October 1998
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. S 514, 22 October 1998
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. GN 1, 6 January 1999
Commonwealth of Australia Special Gazette No. S 41, 31 January 2001
Commonwealth of Australia Special Gazette No. S 468, 26 November 2001
Canberra Times, 8 Oct 2003, p4 

Historical agency address