Gateway Family Services is a welfare service founded and supported by Blaxland Uniting Church. It has been serving families in the lower Blue Mountains since 1990. It is located at the "Cottage" in the grounds of the Uniting Church in Blaxland.

Family Support is committed to building a stronger community through helping to build stronger families.

The service

• Employs trained workers who are able to provide counselling, support, groups, information, advocacy, and practical assistance to families who are experiencing major difficulties.
•  Is funded by The Blaxland Uniting Church, individual donors through the 'Friends of Family Support' scheme and donations from churches, service clubs and community groups.auspices The Early Intervention Family Work Project, the Mobile Community Hub Project, the Pathfinder Project & The Brighter Futures Project  funded by the NSW Dept of Community Services and The Family Links Project and "It takes a Village Project" funded by the Commonwealth Dept of Family, Housing & Community Services and Indigenous . The service has also initiated “Jigsaw” a low cost counselling service for children 5-12 years.
• Partners with churches, schools & local groups to provide Emergency Food Relief to low income families.
• Is supported by Blue Mountains City Council to provide Food Vouchers
• Partners with Blue Mountains Family Support Service to provide Emergency Financial Assistance to families.
• is managed by a Community Management Committee and is member of NSW Family Services & Family Worker Training & Development Program Inc.

Our History

Gateway Family Services is a local welfare organisation which has been serving families in the Lapstone to Springwood area of the lower Blue Mountains since 1990.Since 2000 its programs have been offered mountain wide.
The service is auspiced by Blaxland Uniting Church. It employs trained workers who are able to provide counselling, support, information, and advocacy, emotional and practical assistance to families who are experiencing major difficulties in their lives. The services are free and available on the basis of need.

Our Beginnings

As a response to a 1989 survey of community needs, Blaxland Uniting Church established the Lower Mountains Family Support Service ( Now Gateway Family Services) which has now been serving families of the lower Blue Mountains for 16 years.
In 1990 a grant from Wesley Mission, complemented by funding from the Church, paid for a full time Co-ordinator. After 1992 the Church fully funded the Service and with a small grant from the NSW Department of Community Services a group worker was employed for 1½ days a week. The Service quickly developed a reputation for quality work with families.
The Service was housed in office space in the Blaxland Uniting Church building until late in 1991, when it was relocated to ‘The Cottage’ next door to the Church. The building was refurbished in 1995 to upgrade amenities for clients and staff and in 2002-3 was extended to double its size to accommodate staff and clients more comfortably.

The Service Expands

The Service quickly exceeded its initial goals. LMFSS rapidly developed into a credible welfare agency and by 1993 employed 2 workers and offered a range of programs & services to families in the lower mountains. The activities & scope of the Service continue to expand as it seeks to respond to the needs of families under stress or in crisis.
The Service employs 1 full time Manager and 12 part time staff & is supported by 7 office volunteers and over 30 other volunteers who assist in a variety of ways.
From 1998 the service has been successful in obtaining funding from various governments to manage various projects including outreach parenting group programs, early intervention family support programs including Families NSW projectsw and Brighter Futures Projects. LMFSS has also auspiced 2 Nepean area wide projects.
While its primary responsibility is to provide family support services and emergency relief to families under stress or in crisis, the service now is able to offer complimentary services that include support for parents of young children experiencing difficulty and outreach group work services to alleviate the isolation of parents.

in 2010, LMFSS offically chnaged its name to Gateway Family Services as a refelction of the growing demand for family services in areas betond the lower mountains.

All this has come from the vision of Blaxland Uniting Church to reach out to people in need in the community,

as they believe Jesus himself would.