Unaccompanied children receiving specialist homelessness services

Access to safe and stable housing is fundamental to health and wellbeing (WHO 2018). When children experience homelessness without an accompanying parent or guardian, it often reflects serious breakdowns in family care, safety or support (Noble-Carr and Trew 2018; Robinson 2017). Experiences of homelessness at a young age can have lasting impacts on social, physical and emotional development well past childhood and increase the likelihood of experiencing persistent homelessness (Flatau et al. 2016; Grattan et al. 2021). More information on young people receiving specialist homelessness services (SHS) support and research on the impact of homelessness on young people is available in Children and young clients evidence summary.

The characteristics of unaccompanied children aged 12–17 receiving SHS support are explored in this article, drawn from the Specialist Homelessness Services Collection (SHSC) 2019–20 to 2023–24.

Unaccompanied children receiving specialist homelessness services

In 2023–24, 13,300 children received support from SHS agencies alone or in a group of children unaccompanied by an adult parent or guardian – representing around 1 in 6 (17%) of all children receiving support from SHS agencies (Figure 1). The number and proportion of unaccompanied children has decreased since 2019–20 (15,700 and 19%, respectively), in part due to a change in SHS funded in the Northern Territory (see definition box above).

The proportion of children receiving SHS assistance who were unaccompanied varied across states and territories. The Northern Territory (10%) had the lowest proportion of unaccompanied children in 2023–24, noting higher rates in previous years (see above for further context), while Tasmania had the highest (Figure 1). 

Age and sex

In 2023–24, the majority (79% or 10,500) of unaccompanied children were aged between 15 and 17. 

Unaccompanied children were more likely to be female compared with all children (Figure 2). The proportion of unaccompanied children who were female has increased, both in the 12–14 and 15–17 age groups.

The proportion of female and male unaccompanied children varied across states and territories; females outnumbered males among unaccompanied children aged 15–17 in all jurisdictions and across the periods studied (Figure 2).

Main reasons for seeking assistance

SHS clients describe the main reason they are seeking assistance. Interpersonal relationship reasons (42%) were most common among unaccompanied children. Of the 5,600 unaccompanied children who identified interpersonal relationships as the main group of reasons for seeking support (Figure 3):

• more than half (3,100) reported relationship/family breakdown
• over one third (2,100) reported family and domestic violence.

These findings align with research describing the significant role that family conflict, breakdowns in care and other relational challenges play in youth homelessness (Kalemba et al. 2022).

Accommodation reasons (28% or 3,800 clients) was the second most common main group of reasons unaccompanied children sought assistance. Around 2,000 unaccompanied children reported housing crisis as the main reason, and a further 1,400 reported inadequate or inappropriate dwelling conditions (Figure 3).

Compared with other children who received SHS assistance, unaccompanied children were more likely to report relationship/family breakdown (24% compared with 2.9%) and lack of family and/or community support (5.8% compared with 1.1%) as the main reasons for seeking assistance; however, they were less likely to report family and domestic violence (16% compared with 45%) and housing crisis (15% compared with 20%) as the main reasons for seeking assistance (Figure 3). This difference may in part be due to the main reason for other children nominated by their accompanying adult.

Intersecting vulnerabilities

Unaccompanied children receiving SHS support often face a combination of challenges beyond homelessness, highlighting the complex and overlapping nature of the issues that may contribute to homelessness. 

Among unaccompanied children who accessed services throughout the period 2021–22 to 2023–24, almost 3 in 5 (58%) had experienced at least one of the following:

• mental health issues
• family and domestic violence
• problematic drug and/or alcohol use.

Around 1 in 5 (20%) unaccompanied children had experienced at least two of the above issues.

A current mental health issue (43%) was the most common vulnerability among unaccompanied children (Figure 4). 

Family and domestic violence was more common among unaccompanied children in Victoria (40% compared with 20–35% in other states and territories). In Victoria, family and domestic violence services are often delivered through the SHS sector. Other states may fund similar services through different programs. These differences may account for the higher proportion of clients with family and domestic violence issues in Victoria (AIHW 2024).

Problematic alcohol and/or drug use was the least prevalent additional vulnerability, affecting around 1 in 10 (10%) unaccompanied children; it was more likely to intersect with other challenges than to be experienced in isolation.

Housing situation at the beginning and end of support

A support period is the period of time a client receives services from an SHS agency; starting on the day they become a client by receiving a service from an SHS agency and ending on the last day on which services are provided. A client can have more than one support period in a year. The following describes the changes in the housing situation at the start compared with the end of all support periods for unaccompanied children.

Unaccompanied children who were experiencing homelessness when their support period began were more likely than other children to end support experiencing homelessness. Of the total support periods (8,100) provided to unaccompanied children experiencing homelessness, 3 in 4 remained homeless at the end of support (6,300) (Figure 5). For other children the rate was less (2 in 3 experiencing homelessness at the end of around 21,000 support periods); that is, other children were more likely to be housed at the end of support.

Among unaccompanied children who were at risk of homelessness at the start of support, around 1 in 8 (13%) support periods ended with the child experiencing homelessness – higher than for other children (1 in 10) (Figure 5).

Unaccompanied children were about twice as likely as other children to be living in a house, townhouse or flat – couch surfing or with no tenure. This was the case both when support began (30% compared with 15%) and when support ended (25% compared with 13%).

Services needed and provided

Services needed and provided for unaccompanied children receiving SHS support in 2023–24 highlight differences and similarities when compared with other children receiving SHS support. The following is based on all SHS support periods provided to unaccompanied children; therefore, results reflect whether the service was directly provided by the SHS agency providing the period of support. Clients may also be referred to other agencies for support, particularly if an agency does not directly provide a specific service type. 

Accommodation

Throughout 2023–24, accommodation provision was the second-most-needed service by both unaccompanied children and other children. Unaccompanied children and other children shared a similar need for accommodation provision (54%); however, unaccompanied children were less likely than other children to receive this service (46% compared with 64%) (Figure 6). 

Half (50% or 3,200) of support periods for unaccompanied children who needed short-term or emergency accommodation were provided with this service. A further 1 in 7 (15%) were referred to another service provider, and more than a third (36%) were neither provided with this service nor referred. Comparatively, around 21% of support periods for other children needing short-term or emergency accommodation were neither provided nor referred for this type of service (Figure 6).

Assistance to sustain housing tenancy for unaccompanied children was needed in around 1 in 5 (19%) support periods and provided in around 4 in 5 (82%) of support periods. 

General services

Throughout 2023–24, in almost all support periods for unaccompanied children and other children, general services was the most needed service. General services were needed (95%) and almost always provided for unaccompanied children (98% of support periods needing this service type were provided with this service). Other children had a similar experience.

Unaccompanied children were in greater need of living skills/personal development and educational assistance than other children during SHS support: over a third (35%) of unaccompanied children needed assistance with living skills/personal development and around a quarter (26%) needed assistance with education, compared with around 1 in 10 of other children (11% and 7.6%, respectively) (Figure 6).

Unaccompanied children had a lower need for assistance with family/domestic violence than other children; assistance was needed in around 1 in 10 (11%) support periods compared with around 4 in 10 (39%) for other children. However, when this service was needed, unaccompanied children were provided with assistance less often than other children (75% compared with 94%).

Educational enrolment and labour force status

Educational enrolment for children aged 12–17

Homelessness can be disruptive to a child’s education, with housing instability consistently linked to poorer academic outcomes and reduced long-term educational attainment (Stargel and Easterbrooks 2022). Schools can play an important role in the prevention and early intervention of unaccompanied child homelessness by identifying at risk children, referring to additional support services, and improving educational outcomes for children experiencing homelessness (Robinson 2021).

Children who received SHS support were enrolled in education or training less often if they were older (aged 15–17) and if they were unaccompanied when receiving SHS support. Children aged 15–17 were not enrolled in education or training at the beginning of:

• 2 in 5 (40%) support periods when unaccompanied
• 1 in 5 (18%) support periods when accompanied (Supplementary table 6).

By contrast, younger children (aged 12–14) were not enrolled in education or training at the beginning of:

• 1 in 21 (4.8%) support periods when unaccompanied
• 1 in 18 (5.5%) support periods when accompanied (Supplementary table 6).

For all groups of children receiving SHS assistance, the proportion who were not enrolled in education or training was higher when support ended than when it began.

Labour force engagement for children aged 15–17

Unaccompanied children aged 15–17 (65% of SHS support periods) were more likely to be participating in the labour force at the beginning of SHS support periods than other children receiving SHS support (30%). Unaccompanied children aged 15–17 were employed at the beginning of around 1 in 5 (18%) support periods – by contrast, other children were employed at the beginning of less than 1 in 20 (4.7%) support periods (Supplementary table 7).