Lisa Joye is the Founder and CEO of Hope Family Cottage on the Central Coast. Lisa was working in Child Protection when she realised, ‘these families need more than what they’re currently being offered’.
“As a case worker, seeing families come together and have time they were missing out on, was one part of my job I loved the most, but the conditions were appalling,” says Lisa.
At Hope Family Cottage, Lisa and her team provide supervised children’s contact and facilitated change overs, family dispute resolution, general mediation, parenting co-ordination, and family group conferencing.
“Keeping families connected following separation is our aim,” she says.
Lisa is a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner and Nationally Accredited Mediator. She has seen first-hand how supervised visits generally take place, in public spaces, such as McDonalds, local police stations, or office boardrooms.
“These places are very stark,” she explains. “There are no soft toys, nowhere for parents to heat up a bottle for their baby, and nowhere to relax or play, for the kids.”
One day Lisa spotted a cottage for sale in Wyong and everything changed.
“I saw the Cottage and thought, ‘that needs to be a contact centre.’ So, I bought it,” she says. “I set it up for families so they can have time together in a place that feels like home.
“Hope Cottage is soft and warm, cosy, and inviting. The children don’t really know it’s different to mums or dad’s house. There are toys and games and things for them to enjoy. Somewhere to warm up a bottle and do tummy time. There is nothing institutional about Hope Cottage whatsoever.”
Hope For All
Hope Family Cottage has been operating in Wyong since 2021 and Lisa believes home-like environments like this are fundamental in supporting children and their parents and promoting better long-term health.
“It’s difficult for families to rebuild relationships in an environment that is cold and stifling,” she says. “When families fall apart their mental health can really start to suffer.”
Suicide is becoming more common in these situations and according to Lisa, “Many parents lose direction, a sense of purpose, and the ability to provide. In a few circumstances people may have lost their home and are not seeing their children. For men, especially, their identity goes out the window.
“The environment makes a huge difference, and we see a lot of positive and behavioural change from parents at Hope Family Cottage. It validates them and doesn’t make them feel like they are naughty parents who have done something wrong. We see amazing changes and we support and coach people through that change. We help them become better humans.”
Lisa is currently studying a PHD in Psychology and plans to write a behaviour change program to implement through the Cottage.
“Opening communication between parents is important and where possible we’ll re-establish that so they can co-parent positively moving forward.”
Hope Family Cottage accommodates around 12 families a week and anywhere from 15 – 30 children. Earlier this year the team began servicing the Upper North Shore in Sydney, but Lisa is yet to find another home, like the Cottage.
“We don’t have a centre yet or any funding – I am funding everything myself. Hopefully we can get some funding in the future.”
Donate to Hope Family Cottage
Hope Family Cottage is raising funds to continue and expand their services.
If you would like to learn more and make a secure donation, click here.
