The heart of community care in Melbourne since 1896

Kids First is a proudly independent child and family services provider and early education specialist. A purpose driven organisation, our vision is for all children and young people to thrive in resilient, strong and safe families and communities.

We pride ourselves on pioneering and delivering ground-breaking, evidence-informed programs to children, young people and families. Everything we do is underpinned by our guiding principle of ‘HEART’ – Hope, Empowerment, Accountability, Respect and Trust - the values which bind our culture, purpose and vision.

Over the years, Kids First has partnered with thousands of families to bring about change and healing, strengthen family relationships and set children up for the brighter futures they deserve.

In the universal setting of kindergartens, we pair early childhood development knowledge with our understanding of family dynamics to create the right conditions for thriving young learners. In settings like schools, we work directly with students to promote behaviours that exist in healthy relationships.

We reach out in our local community, engaging with families experiencing little bumps, and big ones, that impact their confidence as parents and their child's wellbeing. And we are there to work with children, young people and adults to assist their recovery from trauma.