Unaccompanied Homeless Children in Tasmania

In Tasmania, as in other Australian states and territories, children can experience homelessness alone without a parent or guardian. Unaccompanied child homelessness is the outcome of a lack of care and effective guardianship in children’s lives.

Children who experience unaccompanied homelessness may sleep rough, couch surf with extended family, friends and acquaintances, or access Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS).

In 2018-19 Specialist Homelessness Services Collection data recorded that 14,456 children aged 10-17 presented alone to SHS in Australia, and 410 children aged 10-17 presented along to SHS in Tasmania. These numbers, however, are reflective of the number of SHS beds available, not the number of children in need.

A Public Health Approach

A public health approach to ending unaccompanied child homelessness in Tasmania

This paper outlines the interventions required to prevent unaccompanied child homelessness or ensure it is a brief, supported and one-off experience.

This roadmap for ending unaccompanied child homelessness emerges from a suite of in-depth qualitative research projects (outlined below) designed to understand the personal and systemic vulnerability experienced by unaccompanied homeless children and their need for care, education, and mental health supports.

The impacts of COVID-19 have added another layer of complexity to the lives of unaccompanied homeless children. We highlight the need for a bespoke COVID-19 outbreak management plan for unaccompanied homeless children, including measures to support their health, wellbeing and school engagement during a public health emergency.

Our projects

Too hard?
Understanding the personal and systemic vulnerability experienced by older children in Tasmania

This project, undertaken in 2017, explored the key drivers of teen vulnerability in Tasmania. The project illustrates how personal and systemic vulnerability results in some older children falling between the homelessness and child protection systems. These children experience cycles of referral through services that were not designed to meet their unique and complex needs.

The project draws attention to the need to address gaps in the specialist adolescent support system in Tasmania. It also highlights the critical intermediary role of therapeutic, relationship-based care delivered through both outreach and residential service models.
- Too hard? Highly vulnerable teens in Tasmania
- For a summary of key findings, see the 2017 article by Dr Catherine Robinson, ‘Highly vulnerable teens: A social justice imperative’, Journal of Applied Youth Studies, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 61-72.
Who cares?
Understanding the unique care and accommodation needs of unaccompanied homeless children in Tasmania

This short project presents a focused discussion of the care and accommodation issues faced by children who experience homelessness alone.

The paper explains why the unique age-specific care and accommodation needs of unaccompanied homeless children remain largely unmet in Tasmania. The paper offers short descriptions of service models operating in other parts of Australia that provide medium and long-term accommodation to unaccompanied homeless children who are unable to be reunited with family.
- Who cares? Supported accommodation for unaccompanied children
- For an accessible overview of key issues, see this 2018 article ‘ Unaccompanied teens, trauma and homelessness: Who cares?’, Parity, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 50-52.
Outside in
Understanding the barriers to school access and attendance for vulnerable and unaccompanied homeless children in Tasmania

This project, undertaken in 2018, further investigates barriers to school access and attendance and school bullying raised by children participating in Too hard? Highly vulnerable teens in Tasmania (2017). The project focuses on capturing an insight into the school re-engagement work undertaken with vulnerable children by community-based youth and homelessness support workers statewide.

The project illustrates the extraordinary battle both youth workers and vulnerable children face to remain connected with schools. In particular, it details the difficulties experienced by unaccompanied homeless children and the need for systemic support to assist them to rejoin education.
- Outside in: How the youth sector supports the school reengagement of vulnerable children in Tasmania
For further discussion on reforming school engagement with unaccompanied homeless children, see this introductory overview in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education:
- Reforming the Engagement of Schools with Unaccompanied Homeless Children
- Early draft manuscript
#Stayhome?
Understanding COVID-19 and unaccompanied homeless children in Tasmania

This project was undertaken in 2020 to monitor the health, social and economic impacts of COVID-19 on unaccompanied homeless children in Tasmania. It provided rapid reports from frontline community-based support workers in touch with unaccompanied homeless children during and following the declared public health emergency.

The report found that proactive offers of age-appropriate, safe accommodation were not extended to unaccompanied homeless children and specific supports for accessing COVID testing and isolation were not available. Further, the report documented the negative impacts of the withdrawal of face-to-face service provision for this uniquely vulnerable group of children.
Better, bigger, stronger
Better, bigger, stronger: Responding to the mental health care needs of unaccompanied homeless children in Tasmania

This project investigated the mental health care needs of children who experience homelessness alone. It built on key themes of complex trauma, the value of school supports, and access to health and mental health services.

The overarching aims of the project were:
- To understand unaccompanied homeless children’s experiences of mental ill-health in Tasmania;
- To investigate barriers to mental health service provision for unaccompanied homeless children in Tasmania;
- To consider what models of support and service would better meet the mental health needs of unaccompanied homeless children in Tasmania.
Read the final report and watch a video overview.

For a reflection on the importance of non-housing supports for ending homelessness, see this 2020 article by Dr Catherine Robinson, ‘Home: A new normal’, Parity, vol. 33, no. 4, pp. 86-87.

For an overview of the relationship between homelessness and complex trauma, see this 2014 chapter ‘Trauma: A cause and consequence of homelessness’, in Homelessness in Australia: An introduction, New South Publishing.