Charters Towers, Queensland.

The Dalrymple Rural Family Support Service commenced in March 2001 and is a mobile outreach program based in Charters Towers. The Dalrymple Shire surrounds Charters Towers, covering an area of 68,391 kilometres, larger than Tasmania, but with an approximate population of only 3,700.

The Dalrymple Rural Family Support Service currently works among some 50 rural families who have children up to the age of 18. The service aims to equip families with the knowledge and skills necessary to care safely for their children and ensure there is access to support services and resources.

The focus is on addressing issues of safety and strengthening families, including parent education, information, counselling and appropriate referrals.

Jeanie Brook, who coordinates the service, is a Social Worker and Family Therapist. She immerses herself into the community attending distance education days, working closely with other services within the region and occasionally visiting families with the Patrol Minister and the Remote Area Families Service teams.

The service operates from a small miner’s cottage close to the centre of Charters Towers, with easy access to parking and other services.