ABOUT THE NFP PROGRAM

[Vision Mission Origins][Values][Structure][FAQs]

Structure

Commonwealth Support

• The Natural Family Planning (‘NFP’) Program is a health initiative. funded since 1974 by the Commonwealth Government under the Family Planning Program Grant.

• The Australian Catholic Bishops’ of Australia (‘ACBC’) is contracted by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care (‘DH&AC’) for the provision of natural family planning services to the Australian community.

Executive Responsibility

• Until 1998-99 the Australian Catholic Social Welfare Commission, administered the program on behalf of the Catholic Bishops of Australia. From 1 July 1999 the executive responsibility for administering the NFP Program, was transferred by the ACBC to a newly created NFP Board of Management (‘the Board’).

Service Delivery

• 35 diocesan/regional centres are funded by the Board for the provision of NFP services.

• Services are accessed through a network of 135 outlets located throughout Australia, operating from premises shared with medical, health or church agencies, often with flexible evening and weekend consultation hours.

• Services are provided by over 200 NFP teachers trained and accredited in either the Billings Ovulation Method or the Symptothermal Method of natural family planning.

• Clinical and Education services funded by FPP Grant contribute towards the sexual and reproductive health of all Australians by providing information about a natural, non-interventionist method of family formation.