Homelessness services

Children require safe, secure, and stable home environments to maintain mental and physical wellbeing for their development into adulthood, with short periods of being at risk of or experiencing homelessness associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing negative health outcomes in the long term (AIFS 2012; Bassuk et al. 2014; Clair 2019; Flatau et al. 2012). Children experiencing homelessness are also at increased risk of being homeless as adolescents and adults (Flatau et al. 2012).

Child abuse and neglect is often associated with disadvantage and issues such as poverty, homelessness, alcohol and drug addiction, family and domestic violence and mental health issues (DSS 2021). Family and domestic violence is one of the main reasons that families seek assistance from SHS agencies. It is also one of the leading reasons for statutory intervention, and SHS agencies often work with the same families and children as child protection authorities (MICAH Projects 2016).

Care and protection orders (CPOs) are legal orders or arrangements that place partial or all responsibility for a child’s welfare with child protection departments. In Australia, state and territory governments are responsible for statutory child protection. Their respective departments work with children and families to protect children from abuse, neglect or other harm (AIHW 2023). More information on children on care and protection orders is available at Child protection Australia 2023–2024.

Pathways into homelessness

Pathways into homelessness for children on care and protection orders are complex. Children may seek support from SHS agencies with their carers for reasons unrelated to the CPO, or, children may seek support alone after leaving their home due to family violence, abuse or neglect (Noble-Carr and Trew 2018).

For some young people, being placed on a child protection order does not always lead to a safe, stable, and secure housing situation. Being placed on a CPO means that a young person can be placed in a residential or foster care household (out-of-home care) (Noble-Carr and Trew 2018). A critical element of a child’s wellbeing in out-of-home care is placement stability, and child protection agencies prioritise this where possible (AIFS 2021; Prentice 2018; Seselja 2017). Reviews of outcomes and experiences for children in care have found that many (for example, nearly two-thirds of children in Victoria) experience placement instability, marked by multiple placements during their time in care (CCYP 2020; Asif et al. 2024). This instability can exacerbate trauma and can lead to adverse outcomes for children transitioning from out-of-home care, including increased chances of experiencing homelessness, mental health issues, and interactions with the youth justice system (AIFS 2011; CCYP 2020).

Exiting care

Young people in out-of-home care can legally exit the system at 18 years old, with the transition from care to independence challenging for many young people (Zhao and Waugh 2025; OECD 2022). Young people leaving care often feel ill-equipped to transition into independent living due to limited transition planning, with many feeling a lack of emotional readiness, an unfamiliarity with post care services, and limited development of living and financial skills required to live independently (Zhao and Waugh 2025; Noble-Carr and Trew 2018). Young people in care also fear losing social networks such as caseworkers and carers when they leave the care system; an essential safety net for young people navigating change (McDowall 2020).

Compounding factors such as a lack of affordable housing and discrimination due to age, income and rental history make finding stable housing difficult for young people exiting care (Zhao and Waugh 2025). An Australian survey of 325 young people found that 1 in 6 (17%) transitioning from care experienced homelessness immediately on leaving care and almost 1 in 3 (30%) experienced homelessness in the first year after leaving care (McDowall 2020).

Pathways to stable housing

Without appropriate planning and wrap around services, young people exiting the care system risk exiting into homelessness and enduring preventable disadvantage and harm (Martin et al 2021).

Supporting young people exiting out-of-home care is an important consideration to preventing future experiences of homelessness (Flatau et al. 2012). Most jurisdictions in Australia offer extended care leaver support up until at least the age of 21, allowing young people exiting care to remain in existing care placements, enabling a gradual transition into independent living (Zhao and Waugh 2025). However, young people that are unable to remain in those placements and cannot be reunified with family, need wider supports including appropriate transition planning to enable young people to secure stable housing in anticipation of aging out of the care system (Zhao and Waugh 2025; OECD 2022).

Appropriate transition planning for young people leaving care addresses not only housing, but also employment, education, access to support services, living and financial skills development and support for building social networks (Zhao and Waugh 2025, OECD 2022; Noble-Carr and Trew 2018). The service response for young people exiting care must address the specific needs and situation of the individual including young parents or those with disability who may need further supports to find and maintain safe and appropriate housing (Zhao and Waugh 2025; Purtell et al 2021).