The more Victoria invests in the foundational supports that young people need now, the stronger our communities will be. It means that young people will thrive, now, and into the future.
Right now, Victorians are facing significant challenges – mounting cost of living pressures, growing housing insecurity, the impacts of climate change and disasters, and navigating the ongoing effects of COVID-19.
Young people are doing it particularly tough, with alarming rates of youth suicide, rising homelessness and educational disengagement, and navigating technological shifts like the under 16 social media ban. Strengthening the systems designed to support young people has never been more critical.
We recognise the significant financial pressures facing the government, the reality of competing budget priorities, and that solving these issues requires strong cross-sector co-ordination and collaboration.
In this context, this funding blueprint for the Victorian youth sector focuses on smart, evidence-based investment. We focus on scaling up prevention and early intervention approaches that support young people where and when they need it – before challenges escalate into crisis.
Investment in youth services delivers strong returns: for every dollar invested, this returns at least $2.62 in benefits through improved economic, social and health outcomes, alongside reduced reliance on crisis systems.1 This directly aligns with the Early Intervention Investment Framework (EIIF),2 recognising that early investment in young people addresses problems before they escalate, reducing pressure on costly acute services – like hospitals, prisons, and homelessness and family violence services.
Yet, the youth sector is under increasing strain, facing rising costs, workforce shortages, and growing demand from young people with increasingly complex needs. Without sustainable investment, the sector’s capacity to deliver safe, inclusive, and effective services to young people is at risk.
This blueprint outlines a set of practical, evidence-informed recommendations developed through extensive consultation with young people and the youth sector, including YACVic’s statewide listening tour and youth sector survey.
To achieve success, Victoria must prioritise meaningful youth engagement. Young people deserve a say in the decisions that affect their lives, and are harnessing their unique experiences, knowledge, and ideas to offer innovative solutions to complex policy challenges.
These recommendations align with existing government strategies and reform agendas and are designed to complement and strengthen current commitments.
YACVic, alongside our members and the broader youth sector, stands ready to support the Victorian Government in creating a progressive and equitable state for all young people.
Our Recommendations
Value a strong, sustainable and connected youth sector
Provide multi-year funding
Recommendations:
1.1 Increase default contract lengths for community sector funding agreements to at least five and preferably seven years, as recommended by sector leaders and the Productivity Commission.
1.2 Improve transitional funding arrangements for community sector organisations by:
a) Amending grant rules to ensure service providers are given at least six months’ notice of any cessation or renewal of funding.
b) Providing contractual options allowing organisations to request additional funding where a contract is ceased, to support the transition of services to another provider.
Ensure sector funding reflects the full cost of delivery services
Recommendations:
1.3 Boost base funding to the community sector to meet the real cost of delivering essential services, including accounting for:
a) Appropriate indexation, that is applied uniformly across organisations, published yearly, and reflects rising costs incurred.
b) Infrastructure, management, and administration costs.
Promote a connected and collaborative sector
Recommendations:
1.4 Provide adequate core funding to YACVic to ensure continued viability as backbone and convenor of youth sector, and to coordinate key initiatives.
1.5 Invest in measures that improve youth service connectivity and drive collaboration – including YACVic Networks and Community of Practice’s (CoPs).
Support youth worker students to complete quality placements
Recommendations:
1.6 Address student placement poverty by working with the Commonwealth to introduce support payments for youth work students undertaking unpaid placements.
1.7 Increase support to organisations delivering youth work student placements, including through:
- Dedicated funding to organisations to ensure they have the resources and capacity to provide high quality student learning experiences and coordination.
- Specific funding for peak bodies (including YACVic) to strengthen youth sector capacity for placements.
Support young people early, where and when they need it
Fully fund the implementation of the Youth Strategy
Recommendations:
2.1 Allocate adequate funding to fully implement all 74 initiatives in ‘Our Promise, Your Future: Victoria’s Youth Strategy 2022-27,’ and provide funding and accountability mechanisms for the implementation of a new strategy upon expiry.
Invest in youth services and programs
Recommendations:
2.2 Increase investment in generalist youth services and community-based programs for all young people. Approach to focus on early intervention, place-based, and holistic support.
2.3 Invest in specialist early intervention youth programs where young people are already disengaging or at-risk (e.g. mental health, interaction with criminal legal systems, family violence, education, housing, employment).
2.4 Reinstate lapsing funding for critical youth programs – including the School Focused Youth Services (SFYS) Program.
2.5 Establish a Multicultural Youth Worker Program funding 20 locally based multicultural youth workers across Victoria to work with multicultural young people and communities of greatest need, especially those in growth corridors and in rural/regional Victoria.
Provide safe and inclusive spaces for young people
Recommendations:
2.6 Invest in repurposing more community spaces into youth hubs, to expand the availability of safe, accessible and inclusive spaces where young people can engage in activities, events and programs outside of school.
2.7 Allocate funding to peak bodies to support the ‘Youth Hub Network.’ This would support youth hubs to develop and share relevant resources, training, information and advocacy for best practice with young people.
Ensure access to affordable and reliable transport options
Recommendations:
2.8 Fund the development of a rural transport fund to remove significant access barriers for young people and youth workers. To support the attendance of professional development, events, education, work and support services.
2.9 Extend the Youth Myki to make public transport free for under 25’s, particularly for young people living in rural and remote areas and those with concession cards.
End youth homelessness and housing insecurity
Fund a youth housing and homelessness strategy and youth housing model
Recommendations:
3.1 Develop a co-designed Victorian specific Youth Housing and Homelessness Strategy, focused on ending youth homelessness by coordinating services, supports, and interventions tailored to young people.
3.2 Fund Homes Victoria to partner with the community sector to develop and implement a dedicated and fit-for-purpose youth housing model, to include:
- 5000 new social housing tenancies for young people to improve access to affordable, safe and youth-appropriate housing and to meet rising demand.
- Higher subsidies for housing providers to enable access for young people.
3.3 Increase investment in prevention and early intervention services to address the needs of young people before they experience homelessness. This should prioritise populations overrepresented in homelessness and marginal housing, focusing on holistic support and tenancy maintenance.
Support for renters
Recommendations:
3.4 Boost investment in renter services – including the Tenancy Advocacy and Assistance Program (TAAP), Private Rental Assistance Program (PRAP) and Aboriginal Private Rental Assistance Program (APRAP) – to meet rising demand and ensure providers can support renters to resolve tenancy disputes, maintain their rentals, and avoid eviction into homelessness.
3.5 Fund the Essential Services Commission to develop a Rent Increase Fairness Formula that can be legislated to ensure renters, rental providers and property managers have increased certainty and fairness.
3.6 Work with the Commonwealth government to boost the rate of Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) in proportion to rent increases and in line with recommendations from the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee.16
Young people are supported as victim survivors in their own right
Recommendations:
3.7 Scale-up investment in youth-specific, trauma-responsive, family violence service responses (such as MCM’s Amplify program), to support young people as victim survivors in their own right, with unique needs distinct from children and adults.
Support young people experiencing concurrent homelessness and mental illness
Recommendations:
3.8 Fund the 500 supported housing places for young people experiencing homelessness and mental ill health, as promised through the Mental Health Royal Commission (Rec 25) and now overdue.
3.9 Boost funding to Youth Prevention and Recovery Centres (YPARCs) to expand support for housing issues.
Housing equity for young people facing additional marginalisation
Recommendations:
3.10 Provide necessary funding to implement all Yoorrook Justice Commission housing recommendations. (See also section 8: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Self Determination).
3.11 Expand the Pride in Place model to support LGBTIQA+ young Victorians.
3.12 Invest in crisis-transitional housing for trans and gender diverse young people.
3.13 Fund intercultural capability for the housing and homelessness workforce to better meet the diverse needs of multicultural young people.
3.14 Fund dedicated culturally responsive, place-based crisis accommodation and early intervention housing and support services tailored to young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds – including young women, temporary visa holders, and large families.
Invest in smart youth justice solutions
Invest in evidence-based early intervention approaches that work
Recommendations:
4.1 Scale up and provide secure funding for support programs for young people involved in or at risk of entering the criminal legal system to address rising demand and increasing complexity (such as fully funding VALS’ Balit Ngulu service across the state and YSAS’ Youth Support Service and lived experience mentoring models).
4.2 In addition to recent announcements regarding 20 social workers in schools, increase investment in generalist youth workers in high-need schools and community settings, recognising their central role in early intervention and prevention to divert young people from the youth justice system.
4.3 Fund concerted evidence-based approaches to youth justice reform, research and policy – including funding for co-ordination of the Smart Justice for Young People Coalition.
End the over-representation of particular groups of young people in the criminal legal system
Recommendations:
4.4 Fund the implementation of Smart Justice for Young People Working Together: An Action Plan to End the Over-representation of Particular Groups of Young People in the Criminal Justice System.
4.5 Maintain commitment to fund and implement Wirkara Kulpa: Aboriginal Youth Justice Strategy 2022-2032.
4.6 Fund the full implementation of the Yoorook Justice Commission recommendations on child protection and the criminal justice system. (See also section 8: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Self Determination).
Support all young people to be healthy and well
Ensure young people can access tailored mental health support
Recommendations:
5.1 Increase investment in tailored youth mental health supports and services beyond the headspace model, including generalist youth workers in community and schools.
5.2 Invest in youth-led suicide prevention and mental health education that is place-based and supports capacity building, such as an expansion of Live4Life.
5.3 Fund the Lived Experience Consumer Commissioner and a Lived Experience Carer Commissioner as part of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission.
Strengthen support for LGBTQIA+ young people
Recommendations:
5.4 Invest in place-based mental health and wellbeing programs to support LGBTIQA+ young people from multicultural, multifaith, and Aboriginal communities – through programs such as the Healthy Equal Youth (HEY) project.
5.5 Scale-up the Victorian Trans and Gender Diverse Health Initiative to meet demand and increase access to vital healthcare support, including gender affirming care and specialised mental health and peer support.
5.6 Invest in training and education for community and health sector professionals on best practice inclusive support for trans, gender diverse and non-binary young people, particularly in rural and regional areas, to increase accessibility to safe healthcare.
Safe, inclusive and supportive schools
Invest in flexible and supportive learning environments
Recommendations:
6.1 Recommit to providing 75 per cent of the School Resourcing Standard by 2028 through the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement.
6.2 Increase funding to mainstream flexible in-school and remote learning options to support students with diverse learning needs to remain supported and engaged in school.
6.3 Ensure programs that support young people to engage in education are well funded and connected with early intervention youth work in schools. This includes increasing investment in generalist youth workers in schools, Multicultural Education Aides in schools, and School Community Liaison Officers.
6.4 Increase funding and expand eligibility criteria for early intervention programs in schools such as Navigator, to support young people who have disengaged from education much earlier.
6.5 Provide sustainable funding for Learning Support Programs and Homework Clubs, helping students who require additional support inside and outside of school.
6.6 Address disparities in education outcome for students at risk of entering the criminal legal system, and young people in out-of-home-care by implementing recommendations from the Smart Justice for Young People Working Together Action Plan and Commission for Children and Young People’s Let Us Learn report.
6.7 Fund new Family Engagement Officer roles at high-need schools, connecting students, families, schools and community support agencies, helping to improve communication and linking families with services where needed.
Youth voice in schools
Recommendations:
6.8 Establish a student mental health taskforce to consult with students about their experiences and report back to government.
Intergenerational fairness, disasters and climate change
Parliamentary decision making underpinned by intergenerational fairness and youth participation
Recommendations:
7.1 Invest in the establishment of a Victorian Commissioner for Future Generations.
7.2 Establish a Victorian child and youth advisory council on climate. Crucially, ensure accountability measures are established to track the implementation of youth council advice by government.
Understanding and responding to youth climate anxiety
Recommendations:
7.3 Pilot the development of a framework co-designed with young people to address navigating conversations around climate anxiety and the rise of disasters and extreme weather events, in partnership with the youth mental health sector.
Young people and disaster resilience
Recommendations:
7.4 Scale-up place-based youth participation projects that build local skills and enhance qualification pathways for young people to respond to disasters and extreme weather events.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Self Determination
Recommendations:
8.1 Ensure that the government’s response to the Yoorook Justice Commission includes adequate accountability mechanisms, ensuring accepted recommendations are meaningfully invested in and implemented.
8.2 Appropriately fund and resource Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) delivering essential programs for Aboriginal people across housing, health, mental health, and youth justice.
8.3 Expand dedicated funding for youth specific Aboriginal supports – such as through the Koorie Youth Council and Marram Nganyin Aboriginal Youth Mentoring Program.
8.4 Fund training and development to strengthen the cultural competency of organisations that are not ACCOs or First Nations led, to enable best practice engagement and allyship and lessen the colonial load on First Nations organisations and staff.
Disabled young people
Recommendations:
9.1 Invest in policy, research and capacity building with disabled young people to ensure their voices are heard in the implementation of State Government initiatives, including the Youth Strategy, the new State Disability Plan and Victorian Autism Plan, and the Department of Education’s programs for students with disability.
9.2 Embed delivery of disability-led disability inclusion and awareness training across community, health, education and allied sectors to combat ableism and improve inclusive and accessible service delivery for this cohort. Training should be co-designed, led and delivered by and with disabled young people, such as Together Training.
9.3 Dedicate funding to implement minimum accessibility standards across all generalist service providers in mental health, health, and housing services, co-designed with disabled young people and the disability sector.
9.4 Provide targeted funding to disability advocacy bodies working with disabled young people so they can support young people to understand the changes to the NDIS, Foundational Supports and other support services. This includes ensuring organisations can support disabled young people to realise their rights, and navigate the system gaps and the interface between different services.
9.5 Dedicate funding to promote the Disability Liaison Officer program, and include consumers including disabled young people in a review of the Disability Identifier Project, and fund the eventual full implementation of the Disability Identifier Project.
9.6 Provide peer-led disability-specific career guidance for disabled young people transitioning from education to employment, provided by disability-led organisations and counsellors with lived experience of disability.
Anti-racism and young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds
Anti-racism
Recommendations:
10.1 Provide adequate funding to implement all initiatives outlined in Victoria's Anti-Racism Strategy 2024-2029.
10.2 Based on evaluation findings of the current 18-month pilot of Schools Standing Up to Racism, fund a statewide expansion of this whole-of-school approach.
10.3 Work with the Australian Government to improve data collection on cultural, ethnic and language diversity, and on experiences of racism, including systemic and structural racism.
Young people from migrant and refugee communities
Recommendations:
10.4 Increase funding for youth- and community-led programs and community support groups which strengthen multicultural youth participation and integrate youth-led solutions into decision-making processes, such as CMY’s Le Mana Pasifika program, Seat at the Table and the Jamma Program.
10.5 Fund the implementation of all recommendations from Victoria’s Multicultural Review 2025, specifically establish a new multicultural youth-led/lived-experience grants program to grow multicultural youth participation, leadership capability, and inclusion.