Youth Foyer offers more than a bed – it's a place for young people to thrive

Since 2017, Berry Street’s Education First Youth Foyer in Shepparton has supported young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and want to pursue their education pathways.

Anita McCurdy, Senior Manager, Education First Youth Foyer and Better Futures – who has been involved with the program since it first launched – shared with us how the Youth Foyer is changing young lives in Shepparton

1. How is Berry Street's Education Youth Foyer supporting young people?

With nearly 250 young people coming through our doors since we opened, it’s clear that the Youth Foyer offers so much more than just a bed – it's a place where our young people can thrive.

Young people can call the Youth Foyer ‘home’ for up to two years, which gives time and space for each of them to be offered various opportunities to link into the community with support from Youth Development coaches. Our team of Youth Development Coaches are there 24/7 to build on the young people’s aspirations, set goals and further develop their independent skills for a successful transition into the community.

2. Why is it important for young people to have a stable home, while they focus on their education?

Education and employment are critical to improving the life chances of any young person, and there is extensive research to show that those young people without a stable place to live have poorer education and employee engagement.

For the individual, homelessness leads to greater physical and mental health issues with reduced opportunities to undertake education and gain employment, and less capacity to connect to society.

Therefore, having a safe, affordable and supported space whilst studying, like the Youth Foyer, is critical to reaching the end goal of maintaining housing and economic independence.

3. How is the Youth Foyer helping to prevent youth homelessness?

The Youth Foyer’s movement has been so successful nationally because of the shift towards ‘Advantage Thinking’, which is about promoting a young person’s strengths and creating opportunities for them to achieve their aspirations and dreams.

With this as the foundation, the Youth Foyer’s support focuses on identifying, developing, and most importantly, investing in the skills, capabilities and assets of these young people so that they can establish sustainable lives.

To build social capital (networks), the program needs the local community to be on board. We rely on support from local businesses, industry and philanthropists who are willing to provide various opportunities that link to the program’s six core service offerings, including:

• education
• employment
• health & wellbeing
• social connections
• civic participation, and
• housing and living skills.

Every opportunity provided to a young person is a step closer to preventing them from entering or re-entering homelessness and providing life experiences for a more successful transition to independence.

4. What can the broader community do to support young people facing homelessness?

There are so many ways that individuals and local communities can better support our youth, including:

1. Understand and educate yourself about the difficulties our young people are facing in accessing the housing market and look into what accommodation options you may be able to offer, even if it’s a bungalow or spare room.
2. Offer work ‘tasters’ at your place of employment to give young people an insight into what having employment is all about and share your own career story.
3. Get involved in running a workshop at the Youth Foyer or invite our young people to one in the community that has a specific and beneficial focus, such as interviewing skills, sewing classes, and homework club.
4. Become a one-on-one mentor with a specific area of focus, such as driver support and mentor through Berry Street’s L2P program or help them develop independent living skills such as shopping or cooking.

Support us in providing safe homes to Victorian young people

Our Education First Youth Foyer in Shepparton is just one of the ways in which we’re supporting young people to achieve their goals.

Right across Victoria, children and young people need caring, supportive and stable homes, where they can feel safe in imagining a happy future for themselves.

With your help, all young people can be safe, thriving and hopeful.