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Homeless children left in the cold by patchwork reform |
| 27 October 2011 |
 One of the country’s largest providers of accommodation and support services for homeless people says Australia’s homeless children are being let down by a patchwork approach to their welfare and a lack of consistent support.Mission Australia’s CEO, Toby Hall, said that two years after the launch of the Federal Government’s White Paper on tackling homelessness, The Road Home, which promised a “specific focus on their needs”, too little was being done to address the plight of homeless children. “The White Paper called for a specific focus on the needs of Australia’s homeless children but there hasn’t been enough action,” said Mr Hall. “While the national homelessness strategy has resulted in a considerable injection of funds and positive activity in a range of areas, the most vulnerable members of the homeless population – children who are homeless – have largely been overlooked. “There have been no clear national targets set for reducing the number of homeless children, no consistent national framework to address their needs and not enough in the way of increased resources. “Across Australia’s homelessness system there is little consistency in the supports available to children and families. What might be offered to a child in one service isn’t necessarily available in another. Quality is also inconsistent. It truly is luck of the draw. “For example, while some specialist homelessness services employ a Children’s Worker, the majority do not. At present, resources and funding are not adequate to address children’s needs in a consistent and systematic way.” In 2009-10 more than 84,000 children (under 18) accessed a specialist homelessness service with a parent or guardian – equivalent to one in 60 Australian children and one in every 38 Australian children four years or younger. These figures are likely to underestimate the number of homeless children as it only counts those who’ve accessed or tried to access a service. Despite the demand, 82 per cent of couples with children and 67 per cent of sole parent families were turned away because of the system’s lack of capacity. Mission Australia along with Hanover Welfare Services, the Social Policy Research Centre, the Australian Centre for Child Protection and the Institute of Child Protection Studies have today published a snapshot report on the plight of homeless children, Seen and heard: putting children on the homelessness agenda. Drawing on research, including among frontline staff across 107 specialist homelessness services, it states that homeless children and families encounter three main challenges: accessing services, exiting the homelessness system, and dealing with the effects of homelessness on children. “The first challenge homeless children and families face is getting the support they need. The rates at which children with an accompanying parent or parents are turned away from services speak volumes for the system’s inability to meet demand,” said Mr Hall. “But once they’re in the system it’s incredibly challenging to get out. Many find themselves trapped and unable to access public housing or the private rental market, especially in capital cities. “Finally, the impact of homelessness – and the homelessness system – on children is especially worrying. We know that homelessness among children can lead to developmental delays and poor health, and puts an enormous strain on the parent/child relationship. “The frequency with which homeless children and their parents have to move because of the short-term availability of most crisis support leads to enormous disruption and impacts terribly on a child’s education.” Mission Australia is calling on federal and state/territory governments to immediately pursue a range of actions to assist homeless children, including:
“More funding and a real commitment to a range of serious issues: an increase in social and affordable housing, more assistance for rough sleepers, more preventative services to ‘turn off the tap’ and stop people becoming homeless. “We also acknowledge that some states – South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and Victoria – have made a start in addressing specific services to children. “But New South Wales, Queensland, the ACT and the NT are lagging behind. It just confirms our point about national consistency. We can’t have patchwork action – it needs to be national. “And while some of the White Paper’s broader efforts will have a positive impact on homeless children and families, what are missing are the specific and focussed initiatives on this very vulnerable client group. Surely they should be our first priority?” said Mr Hall. Media contact: Paul Andrews on 0409 665 495 or (02) 9219 2080 Download Seen and heard: putting children on the homelessness agenda  |
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