Perth Voice Interactive

YACWA and other youth advocacy organisations have been left disappointed by the Albanese government’s latest budget.

Youth Alliance Council of Western Australia CEO Antonella Serge, coming off the back of a state election she felt was also shy on tackling issues facing young people, said there were few targeted initiatives in treasurer Jim Chalmers’ budget.

Alliance members around the country had come to the same conclusion.

“They address homelessness, but they’re not specifically looking at youth, and you’ve got to have a youth lens to look at what the needs of youth are,” Ms Serge said.

Incarceration

Along with homelessness, YACWA said the cost of living and high levels of incarceration were key issues for youth that needed more specific attention.

“We just keep seeing people living it rough,” Ms Serge said.

The cost of living was proving a big challenge for young people and pushing more out of secure housing.

“We have data behind us around the benefits of young people being in a safe space, being surrounded by wraparound services, and what we’re saying is this high percentage of young people being able to transition into permanent housing and even more so transitioning into employment – that is what we want.”

Ms Serge lamented the lack of early intervention initiatives to tackle rising incarceration rates.

“We continue to invest when we’re at the crisis point,” she said.

“Early intervention means putting things in place right from the first journey of a young person in education. 

“If we can start by providing that child what they need and the services that they require, we’re not going to have that crisis point.”

Jesuit Social Services CEO Julie Edwards echoed deep concern about Australia’s youth justice system.

“We’d like to have seen much more focus on preventing violence before it starts, including the collection of more and better data on perpetration of family violence and child sexual abuse, and investment in targeted early intervention programs,” Ms Edwards said.

“It’s disappointing to see no additional funding in this space given men’s violence is rightly acknowledged, including by this government, as a national crisis.”

In a media release this week WA Commissioner for Children and Young People Jaqueline McGowan-Jones confirmed a rise in child poverty and homeless in WA, affecting 15.2 per cent of children and young people in 2024.

“Children today are more vulnerable than ever before,” she said.

“From increasing poverty and displacement to lack of access to basic services, we must not only raise awareness but also prioritise tangible, systemic change that can mitigate these threats to ensure a safer, brighter future for our children and young people,” Ms McGowan-Jones said.

Further statistics include that 5,326 children and young people live in out-of-home care, with 7,005 children aged 0 to 17 having visited WA specialised homelessness services, with the majority under 10.

by ISLA TOMLINSON