Reconnect given the green light

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The Federal Government has extended its funding of the Reconnect program until June 2018 following an urgent call from Mission Australia to continue backing the proven youth service.

The decision is a victory for disadvantaged young people, and the latest example of Mission Australia successfully advocating for the needs of Australia’s most vulnerable people.

Reconnect assists young people aged 12 to 18 years who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, encouraging family reconciliation where possible. Our experienced staff help young people stabilise their living situation, maintain family relationships, and increase engagement with education, training, employment and the wider community.

In January, we released a report showing the Reconnect program was making a significant positive contribution to the lives of young people, their families and the wider community. After at least two months in Mission Australia’s Reconnect program:

• Clients’ personal wellbeing improved by 9.5%
• Young people’s permanency of housing improved by 17.7%
• Clients indicating that they did not have support in a time of crisis reduced by 7.1%
• Levels of family cohesion improved considerably. Young people reporting their family's ability to get along is 'poor': Decrease of 37.9%; family's ability to get along is 'very good': Increase of 18.7%

Mission Australia will continue to ask the Federal Government to guarantee a further five years of funding for this vital program and expand it to additional locations of high child and youth homelessness.