Our centresIt’s hard to imagine children homeless in a country like Australia. But the reality is, more than 77,000 children require homelessness support services each year*. At Barnardos we see it every day. Families sleeping in cars. Single mothers camping in caravan parks. Children bouncing between overcrowded living rooms, not knowing where they’ll sleep tomorrow. These are not isolated cases, they are the new normal for far too many families.
Having a safe and stable home is critical for everyone, but especially for children. Yet in today’s Australia, it’s increasingly out of reach. There are now limited rental properties in Sydney under $650 a week, which is unaffordable for low-income families. In regional areas, the options are even worse. The housing crisis is colliding with a cost-of-living crisis. A 2023 NCOSS study revealed 62% of households and 90% of single parents are going without essentials, from groceries to medicine, just to keep a roof over their heads. Two years later and the situation has only worsened and Barnardos is now seeing more families spiral into debt, not for luxuries, but for food, fuel, and nappies. Buy-now-pay-later platforms are being used for antibiotics, not furniture. Behind every statistic is a real child, a real family who is scared. For many women and children, domestic and family violence is the tipping point. Too often, they’re forced to flee with their children while the perpetrator remains in the home. With no access to money and nowhere to go, these mothers are left to choose between safety and shelter.
This is not just a housing issue. It is a child safety issue, a mental health issue, and a generational equity issue. Children who experience homelessness are more likely to suffer poor health, fall behind in school, and face long-term trauma. Without urgent intervention, we risk seeing more children entering foster care, not because they are unsafe with their parents, but because those parents are unsafe in a housing market that has failed them.
At Barnardos we never give up on children. We see the invisible wounds. We hear the quiet pleas. And we know that when families are supported with housing, financial stability, and community care, children can recover. They can heal. They can thrive. This Homelessness Week, I’m asking you as a fellow advocate, policymaker, business leader, or concerned community member, to remember that every child needs a champion. Let’s be that for them. Because no child should ever have to wonder where they’ll sleep tonight.
Originally published on LinkedIn by Deirdre Cheers, CEO of Barnardos Australia
*AIHW 2023-24
