Department of Family and Community Services (Australia)

This article is about the Australian Government Department of Family and Community Services in existence between 1998 and 2006. For the NSW Department of Family and Community Services, see Department of Family and Community Services (New South Wales).

The Department of Family and Community Services (also known as FaCS) was an Australian government department that existed between October 1998 and January 2006.

Department of Family and Community Services

Department overview
Formed	21 October 1998[1]
Preceding Department	Department of Social Security Department of the Treasury Attorney-General's Department Department of Health and Family Services
Dissolved	27 January 2006[1]
Superseding Department	Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Jurisdiction	Commonwealth of Australia
Headquarters	Greenway, Canberra
Employees	5500 (at June 2000)[2]
Department executives	David Rosalky, Secretary (1998–2001) Mark Sullivan, Secretary (2002–2004) Jeff Harmer, Secretary (2004–2006)
Website	facs.gov.au

Scope

Information about the department's functions and government funding allocation could be found in the Administrative Arrangements Orders, the annual Portfolio Budget Statements, the Department's annual reports and on the Department's website.

According to the Administrative Arrangements Order made on 21 October 1998, the Department dealt with:^[3]

• Income security policies and programs
• Services for people with disabilities and families with children
• Community support services, excluding the Home and Community Care program
• Family relationship services
• Welfare housing

Structure

The Department was an Australian Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister.^[1]

The Secretary of the Department was David Rosalky, until 2001^[1] and then subsequently Mark Sullivan,^[4] until 2004 and then Jeff Harmer.^[5]