Kids Under Cover launches in the ACT
After five consecutive moves in two years and no real place to call home, 16 year old Canberra teen, Sarah, had given up on school and was at serious risk of becoming homeless.
That was until Kids Under Cover gave her a chance to start a new life with a one bedroom studio in the backyard of her school friend’s home. Sarah’s studio is the first of three studio projects being piloted in the most recent of Kids Under Cover’s national expansion moves into the ACT.
The official launch was held on Monday 7 July 2010 and was attended by the ACT Community Services Minister, Joy Birch, who said the program provided young people with a level of independence while ensuring they maintained a connection with family. “The teenage years are turbulent years and what we need to do is ensure that kids remain safe and secure and don’t slip into homelessness.”
Kids Under Cover CEO JO Swift said “The Kids Under Cover Studio Program offers a simple yet effective solution in the prevention of youth homelessness. We applaud the ACT Government for embracing the program and look forward to working together to make a real impact in the community.”
Now that Sarah has a safe and secure place to live every night, she is back at school and is focussed on becoming a midwife, all whilst staying to connected with a loving family.
Kids Under Cover would like to thank our funding partners; the ACT Government and the Snow Foundation. We would also like to welcome our Community Service Organisation partners we will be working with; Barnardos and Inanna Crisis Service.
Homelessness in Canberra
The most recent statistics indicate that there are more than 300 people in Canberra aged 12-18 who are homeless.
View ABC news story and radio interview
As seen on WIN, Canberra:
