Better Futures works alongside young people, as they transition from care. Better Futures helps young people identify their goals and aspirations and connects them to their community.
Better Futures provides flexible and tailored support as you transition from care to adulthood.
Your case manager will refer you to Better Futures when you are aged 15 years and 9 months. Your Better Futures worker is available to help you transition from care. They can help you after your Child Protection order finishes, up until 21 years of age.
Better Futures includes:
- case work support
- information and advice
- flexible funding to support transition goals
- Community Connections.
Better Futures provides support across a range of life areas including:
- housing and living skills
- health and wellbeing
- education (including TAFE and university)
- employment
- community and cultural connections (including mentoring).
Eligibility
You are eligible for a referral to Better Futures from 15 years and 9 months if you are in either:
- kinship care
- foster care
- residential care
- permanent care.
You must also be on one of the following Children’s Court orders:
- care by Secretary order
- long-term care order
- family reunification order
- permanent care order.
Referrals
Kinship, foster or residential care
Your case manager will refer you to Better Futures when you are 15 years and 9 months.
Permanent care
If you are on a permanent care order, you will be referred to Better Futures by Permanent Care and Adoptive Families.
If you are an Aboriginal person on a permanent care order, the Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency will refer you to a Better Futures Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation.
- Visit Permanent Care and Adoptive Families
- email info@pcafamilies.org.au
- phone 03 9020 1833.
- Visit Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency
- email pcopathways@vacca.org.
Better Futures resources
Better Futures fact sheets and videos for young people
Better Futures fact sheets and videos are available to help explain the support available to you. The fact sheets and videos were made by the CREATE Foundation and the Transitions from Care Youth Expert Advisory Group (YEAG).
Visit the CREATE website for details.
Better Futures facts sheet and videos for Aboriginal young people
Better Futures fact sheets and videos are available to help explain support available to Aboriginal young people. The fact sheets and videos were made by the Victorian Aboriginal Children & Young People’s Alliance (VACYP) and the Victorian Child and Community Agency (VACCA).
Visit the Victorian Aboriginal Children & Young People’s Alliance Alliance website for details.
Service providers
The list of Better Futures service providers includes contact details of community service organisations and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations providing Better Futures, Home Stretch and Housing First support.
Melbourne City Mission's Frontyard Service delivers the Leaving Care Hotline.
Better Futures service providers contact details by town and/or area
Note: some Better Futures providers also deliver Community Connections and are shown as (Better Futures and Community Connections).
Find your local government area (LGA) using Know Your Council.