Presenters: Carol Jacobs – Assistant District Director. Kristy McDowell – Contact Coordinator. Abstract: This presentation focuses on how the Group Contact program is providing the opportunity for purposeful and supportive contact between parents and their children. This has led to positive outcomes for families working towards reunification as part of the Department’s Permanency Planning policy. Group Contact is child focused and assists parents to increase their parenting skills and capacity. It is weekly for three hours with the parents arriving one hour before their children. During this time information sessions are held with parents, which are delivered by a variety of presenters. The information from these sessions is used by the parents during group contact sessions with their children. In Group Contact, a comprehensive program is offered each week during each school term. Parents are very enthusiastic as they attend programs such as Circle of Security, Safe Sleeping, First Aid for Parents, 123 Magic and Emotion, and Play Based Learning. Parents chat amongst themselves during group and often support each other and share parenting ideas. They are often from different cultural backgrounds and share cultural activities such as cooking. Parents have the opportunity to use their parenting skills within a safe group environment. Group builds confidence and encourages them to ‘give it a go’. They develop an understanding as to why maintaining positive contact with their children is so important. The Group Contact Program has highlighted the importance of working alongside parents to build on their parenting skills and capacity and to help them to positively engage with their children in a child focused environment. This has created a teaching opportunity for parents to learn new skills, practice these skills, and receive feedback on their progress on their way to reunification.