Housing for children needing protection

All types of housing assistance will be considered to provide the best type of housing support for a child in need of protection.

A child in need of protection is:

• a child who is at risk of being removed from their family
• an unborn child who is at risk of being removed from their family after birth
• a child who is living with an approved foster or kinship carer but is returning to live with their family
• a child who is living with an approved foster or kinship carer
• a young person aged 17 and living in State care who needs to transition to independent living.

The referral process

1. Child Safety Services identifies a child who is in need of protection and decides that housing assistance will help the protective needs of the child
2. Child Safety Services will send a written referral for housing assistance to the Housing Service Centre
3. after the referral is received, the Housing Service Centre and Child Safety Services will develop a Joint Action Plan to work out:
   • how urgent the housing need is
   • what type of housing assistance the child needs
   • how long it will take to organise housing assistance
   • whether public housing is the most appropriate and only housing solution.

After the Joint Action Plan is completed:

• You will need to complete an Application for Housing Assistance form (PDF, 712KB).
• If your application is approved, you will be placed on the housing register in line with your level of housing need.
• If public housing is not the best housing option, we will assist you to apply for other housing—for example, a bond loan for private rental.

Eligible applicants referred for housing assistance on the grounds of children in need of protection, may be placed ahead of other applicants on the housing register, if there is an urgent need for housing assistance.

If you apply for housing assistance on the grounds of children in need of protection without a referral from Child Safety Services, your application will be assessed against the normal eligibility criteria for housing assistance. If you are eligible, your application is placed on the housing register in line with your level of housing need.

Applying for a housing transfer

If your transfer application shows you may be eligible for a transfer on the grounds of children in need of protection, the Housing Service Centre will explain the process to you and refer you to Child Safety Services.

Applicants eligible for a transfer on the grounds of children in need of protection may be placed ahead of other applicants on the housing register, if it is decided (in the Joint Action Plan) there is an urgent need for housing assistance.

If you apply for a transfer on the grounds of children in need of protection without a referral from Child Safety Services, your transfer application is assessed against the normal eligibility criteria and placed on the housing register in line with your level of housing need.

Appealing decisions

If you think the decision is wrong, you can ask for the decision to be reviewed.

This is called an appeal. The appeal will be managed by someone more senior than the original decision-maker.