On 30 September 2009 the Minister for Workplace Relations, Julia Gillard, announced the successful grant recipients of a $1.69 million investment for Australian businesses to help them become more family-friendly. 

The funding will help support 258 businesses to set up work and family-friendly arrangements in their workplace, by providing up to $15 000 per project under the Australian Government’s Fresh Ideas for Work and Family program.

The 258 successful businesses were selected from over 1200 applications received in the first round of the program.

Funding will enable the businesses to establish a range of initiatives, including work from home arrangements, on-site family/children’s room and developing policies to support family friendly work arrangements. A full list of successful projects is available from the Fresh Ideas website.