As a small child, John suffered abuse at the hands of his parents and was severely neglected. He was only three years old when the Department of Human Services was forced to step in and was permanently removed from his parents' care.

For the next 12 years, he lived in various state-run residential units around Victoria until he moved in with a foster family at the age of 15.

Things were tough for John and his foster family. After so many years in various institutions he could not settle into the family environment. He masked his fear of rejection and the difficulties in coping with family life by rebelling and attempting to sabotage his placement.

John regularly ran away and lived on the streets. He began meeting other young troubled people who were involved in drugs and minor crime.

For John the opportunity to move into a studio in the back yard of his carer's home was a major turning point in his life and a positive change was immediately evident. The studio provided him with some personal space while still allowing him to develop a positive relationship with his caregivers. For the first time in his life, John had a place to call his own and took pride in keeping it neat and tidy.

Through living in the studio, and with the help of his carers,  John developed very important life skills which he will come to rely on when living fully independently in the community.