Funds for YMCA emergency youth accommodation

14/5/97

The YMCA has been guaranteed funding to provide emergency youth accommodation and youth and family counselling, Family and Children's Services Minister Rhonda Parker and Federal Family Minister Judi Moylan announced today.

Mrs Parker said Family and Children's Services would allocate $260,480 a year to the YMCA to provide crisis accommodation and support services for vulnerable young people.

"As a community we have a responsibility to make available safe and secure accommodation for young people who are homeless or at risk of crisis," she said.

"The YMCA offers low-cost, 24-hour accommodation in inner city Perth to six people at a time aged between 17 and 25 years.

"The service supports people through their crisis and helps them develop knowledge and skills to reduce the likelihood of future crises. They receive informal counselling, advocacy and mediation to help them re-establish their lives."

Mrs Moylan said the YMCA also provided counselling for young people aged between 12 and 25 years, as well as their families.

"The low-cost, accessible counselling help young people and their families develop skills to deal with and avoid future crises," she said.

"People are also helped to assess their situation and make informed choices and decisions about the future.

"This funding demonstrates the Commonwealth and State Governments' commitment to supporting young people in crisis and their families."

Family and Children's Services has agreed to provide $216,170 for the counselling service and $44,310 for the accommodation service through the joint State/Commonwealth Supported Accommodation and Assistance Program (SAAP).

Under the agreements, funding will continue until at least June, 1998.

Media contact: Kaye Hopkins 9481 7810 or Sandi Logan (06) 277 7240