At Launch Housing, we support diverse family structures, respecting different cultures, backgrounds, and lived experiences.
Families come in many forms including parents with children, pregnant individuals, grandparents with grandchildren, and extended kinship structures, especially in First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
In recent years we’ve seen an increase in families needing support and have started redesigning our services and piloting innovative new programs to better respond to their particular needs.
We provide housing and healthcare for pregnant women at risk of homelessness through the Cornelia Program, help families escaping violence recover from trauma at Viv’s Place and at our families crisis accommodation site, and offer case management to support them to find safe, secure housing. We integrate education and employment support for young people at our Education First Youth Foyers, and support children’s health, school, and nutrition through our various children’s programs, including the Education Pathways Program.
Understanding the Challenge
Experiencing homelessness is overwhelming, scary, and stressful, especially for children. Each year, thousands of women and children in Victoria seek support from specialist homelessness services due to domestic and family violence. These traumatic experiences can severely impact children's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development, often leading to disrupted schooling and educational setbacks.
For children without a stable home, staying connected to one school is nearly impossible. Research indicates that each time a child changes schools, they fall three to six months behind their peers. This instability increases the risk of disengagement from education and future employment difficulties, perpetuating the cycle of homelessness.
In 2015, Launch Housing recognized the urgent need to support children in short-term accommodations like motels and hotels. Thus, the Education Pathways Program (EPP) was born. The EPP, a vital part of our Children's Specialist Support Service, focuses on re-engaging children with mainstream education and providing essential material aid and financial assistance.
Transformative Outcomes
A recent evaluation highlights the EPP as an innovative, quality program committed to linking children to schools as quickly as possible. Over three years, 187 children received support from the EPP, with 79% of previously unenrolled children now attending primary school. Our 'walking school bus' initiative, where staff accompany children to school each day, has been instrumental in this success.
Supporting Families in Crisis
At the time of engagement, many children and parents were without safe, permanent housing and were traumatized by family violence. More than half of these children had 'very high needs,' including severe absenteeism, below-average literacy and numeracy levels, and social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties. The EPP provides critical early intervention, reducing stress for parents and offering stability and routine for children.
Stories of Success
Daily routines, stability, and safety help children reconnect with school and thrive. Schools provide not only a safe haven but also opportunities for educational growth. Teachers frequently share heart-warming updates about students' progress, highlighting the program's positive impact.
A Collaborative Effort
The success of the EPP is rooted in our strong partnership with local primary schools and the passionate commitment of our team. The local school community's complete embrace of these children fosters a sense of belonging and connection, essential for their development and well-being.
Education First Youth (EFY) Foyers works to break the cycle of homelessness by supporting young people, aged 16 to 24, to build a secure and sustainable livelihood.
By providing young people supported housing, dedicated coaching, and a suite of opportunities and resources, EFY Foyers help youth to build the skills they need to lead fulfilling, independent and productive lives.
EFY Foyers are an integrated learning environment not simply focused on a housing outcome. We do this via mentoring and coaching using an Advantaged Thinking approach to invest in the skills, capacity and aspirations of young people as well as education, training and employment pathways.
Launch Housing currently operates two Education First Youth Foyers – based at Holmesglen Institute’s Glen Waverley campus, and at the Kangan Institute, Broadmeadows.
A Bright Future for Education First Youth Foyers
Very quietly, away from the bright lights of Melbourne’s CBD, something beautiful is happening. Young people, with the safety and security that only stable accommodation can provide, are achieving their goals, nurturing their talents, and building skills for life ahead.
Despite the myriad of reasons that led to a young person’s experience of homelessness, we see young adults succeeding at education, finding employment, creating new friendship groups, building connections with the wider community and lifting their eyes to a new horizon.
The secret? Education First Youth Foyers.
Download our Prospectus to find out more. Launch Housing is grateful for the involvement and support of the Brotherhood of St Laurence in contributing to the development of this document.
The Model: 6 Service Offers
Education, Employment, Health and Wellbeing, Social Connections, Civic Participation, and Housing and Living Skills are the very heart of what we do. They represent areas of life which, when balanced, can help ensure a young person thrives as an independent and connected adult. Through partnering outside the homelessness sector, EFY Foyers create opportunities for young people around each of these service offers.
All EFY Foyer students also complete the Certificate I in Developing Independence (DI), an individualised learning plan that helps to establish a solid platform from which each young person can begin to explore and build skills and knowledge during their two years at the EFY Foyer.
Eligibility
To be eligible for an Education First Youth Foyer, you must be:
Students pay 25% of their income + $10/week for utilities for rent.
We accept applications for EFY Foyer from young people directly and/or support services working with young people.
To apply, please call the EFY Foyer nearest to you. Please then review and complete the readiness form to send to this Education First Youth Foyer.
30 Cavendish Street, Broadmeadows, Victoria 3047
Download EFY Foyer Readiness Form (Kangan)
629 Waverley Road, Glen Waverley, Victoria 3150
P: 03 9564 6488
The Cornelia Program is an Australian-first initiative from the Royal Women’s Hospital, Housing First, and Launch Housing. Launched in August 2021, the Cornelia Program is dedicated to breaking the cycle of homelessness for young families, providing them with the stability and support they need to thrive.
The Cornelia Program offers transitional accommodation for young mothers and their babies in a fit-for-purpose apartment complex in Melbourne’s inner south. With 36 studio apartments, the facility provides a safe and nurturing environment. But housing is just the beginning.
Comprehensive Support System
We understand that stable housing is crucial, but so are the additional layers of support that can make a real difference. Each woman and her baby receive tailored, wrap-around health care and social support to address their unique needs. From in-house midwifery services to substance rehabilitation and family reconnection, our program is designed to provide holistic care.
A Future Full of Promise
Cornelia is more than a program; it is a lifeline for young mothers and their babies, offering them the chance to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope. As we continue to grow and evolve, our commitment remains steadfast: to break the cycle of homelessness and create brighter futures for the families we serve.
South Melbourne is a crisis accommodation service for children and families experiencing homelessness and/or family violence. Wraparound services are available on-site including case management to help families find safe and sustainable housing, outreach support and specialist programs for children like the Children Specialist Support Service, the Education Pathways Program and co-located community services.
Viv’s Place is Australia’s first long-term supported housing for women and children escaping family and domestic violence. It provides 60 women and up to 126 children with a safe long-term home, resident engagement services and wrap-around supports. These include family and child case management through Uniting Family Services, the Education Pathways Program, and numerous co-located community services.
