As the nation marks National Child Protection Week, Barnardos Australia (Barnardos) has released fresh analysis revealing the shocking reality for children facing homelessness.
In June 2025, 28,279 children went to a specialist homelessness service for help. Concerningly, 30 per cent of them were under the age of five, a further 27 per cent were aged five to nine.
"This should be a massive wake up call for governments and communities. Thousands of children, who are in many cases leaving unsafe home environments, are winding up homeless. Children are not bystanders to crises like homelessness and family violence, they are also victims-survivors, and we cannot stand for that as Australians," Barnardos frontline worker Eliza Gibbs said.
New snapshot analysis of the latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data released by Barnardos Australia this week shows girls are significantly overrepresented when it comes to children seeking help without a parent or guardian. In 2023-24, 13,300 unaccompanied children accessed specialist homelessness services, and 63 per cent were female.
"If we are going to protect children, we need to ensure families have safe and secure housing, but we also need child-focused support and early intervention programs to protect children facing family violence and homelessness.
"Children who experience these unthinkable kinds of challenges early on in life, will be more likely to end up in a cycle of homelessness and poverty. We must break that cycle for our nation's children," Eliza Gibbs said.
Barnardos Australia is urgently calling for action from governments, including:
Recognising children and young people as equal victims of domestic and family violence in policy, programs and service delivery so that they receive trauma-informed counselling and support when they most need it
Recognising children as equal victims of domestic and family violence in legislation to trigger dedicated support and prevention programs
Increasing investment in social and affordable housing to ensure parents and guardians can provide a safe and secure home for their children
Increasing funding for more specialist child domestic and family support workers and trauma-informed counselling for children, beyond refuges to include Barnardos Children's Family Centres
Lifting of JobSeeker and other income supports so no child has to face going without food or a safe home
Snapshot analysis key findings:
28,279 children received support from specialist homelessness services in June 2025. 30 per cent were aged 0–4 and 27 per cent were 5–9.
13,300 unaccompanied children sought help in 2023–24. 94 per cent presented alone and 6 per cent in a group of children.
Among unaccompanied children who were homeless at the start of support, fewer than one in five were housed at the end, while about 77 per cent remained without secure housing.
Girls are over-represented among unaccompanied children, with females comprising 63 per cent in 2023–24, up from 60 per cent in 2019–20.
Interpersonal relationship issues were the main reasons unaccompanied children sought assistance, with family and domestic violence and relationship breakdown prominent drivers.
