Community Support Groups

A Community Support Group (CSG) is comprised of five or more adults who have come together to look after a refugee family for up to 12 months after their arrival. Anyone can apply to initiate or join a CSG through the Department of Home Affairs, providing they are Australian citizens or permanent residents.

During the twelve months, the CSG provides wrap-around settlement and integration support to the family. The family can access the same Government services as other humanitarian visa holders, such as Medicare and Centrelink, and the CSG provides the day-to-day practical help such as driving them to appointments, organising English lessons, finding an interpreter if necessary, showing them how to shop and so on. CSGs often also arrange social outings and in many cases form close friendships with the members of the family.

Prospective CSGs need to demonstrate that they have secured sufficient funds to support CRISP participants. Financial commitments for CSGs depend on a range of factors, including the number of participants.