Homeless – Children’s Brokerage Support
Please note that this funding is available only for access by workers in Specialist Homelessness Services for clients experiencing homelessness, housing crisis and/or family violence.
The Homeless Children’s Brokerage Support has been established to enhance opportunities for children experiencing homelessness and/or family violence to:
- Engage and maintain their education (including early education services such as childcare and kindergarten).
- Reduce social isolation by enhancing access to a range of support, social and recreational opportunities within their community.
- Provide social and emotional growth opportunities for children and provide opportunities to increase relational bonds between parents/carers and children.
The Homeless Children’s Brokerage Support also aims to provide further encouragement to homelessness support providers to integrate child focused assessment and case planning into their work practice.
Please ensure that you carefully read the eligibility guidelines and contact the Children’s Resource Program Coordinator, who can provide you with any additional information required. Please email completed applications to childrensresourceprogram@cnv.org.au
DFFH Children’s Resource Brokerage Application
DFFH Children’s Resource Brokerage Guidelines
Additional Funding
Connections Employment Education Pathways (CEEP)
(CEEP) grants are for young people aged 16-25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and who are supported by homelessness assistance service (SHS) to access education and employment options. CEEP funds can be used for goods or services that are directly related to the young person’s education, employment or training (EET) pathway.
Examples of items that can be applied for, though are not confined too;
- training course costs
- stationery
- travel tickets i.e. Myki
- uniform
- work boots
- computer/laptop
- ‘tools of the trade’
- material items directly related to the young person’s EET pathway (e.g desk; chair)
CEEP Guidelines
CEEP Application Form
The School Saving Bonus for Goverment school children will provide a one-off $400 to help Victorian families cover the costs of their kids’ school uniforms, textbooks, excursions, camps and activities. It can can be accessed via the School Saving Bonus online system in November 2024. Families can choose how they spend the School Saving Bonus. It can be used towards 2025 school costs.
The School Saving Bonus will be emailed directly to parents and carers in November 2024. Please check your junk folder if you cannot locate the email. If you do not receive information by 25 November 2024, please contact your school for support.
School Saving Bonus Information Sheet for parents & carers
Kids Get Active Voucher Program
Helping eligible families cover the cost of getting their kids involved in organised sport or recreation.
Ardoch School Costs Guide (2022)
Information for parents and caregivers on how to manage and reduce school costs.
Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund
Available to concession cards holders or foster parents and paid directly to the school.
Child Dental Benefits Scheme
Available to parents receiving Centrelink benefits, with criteria outlined on the website.
Department of Health and Human Services Student Scholarship Program
Helps young people living in public or community housing, or those at risk of homelessness, get the support they need to stay in school and achieve their full potential.
Family Reconciliation and Mediation Program
State-wide service providing financial support for young people aged 16-25 who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness to access a range of therapeutic services and brokerage for material goods.
Find a Therapeutic Practitioner
Glasses for Kids
A program providing free glasses for disadvantaged students.
HEY Grants
Supporting organisations to undertake mental health promotion and community engagement activities that focus on same sex attracted and sex and gender diverse (SSASGD) young people, aged between 14 and 25 years. Focusing on development of new and innovative approaches to address and support the mental health of SSASGD young people, but also supporting implementation of tried and tested models in communities where existing support for SSASGD young people is limited.
Pet Medical Crisis Fund-PMCF
The PMCF has been created to help pensioners ad disadvantaged pet owners who can not afford surgery to keep their family pet alive.
AKC gives monetary grants that allow children to be included in cultural, artistic, musical, sporting and educational activities.
$500 towards you or your children’s education
State School Relief Program
Assists public school students experiencing hardship; poverty, homelessness, financial hardship, family violence, house fires and natural disasters. Students in need can apply to the principal for a new school uniform or pair of shoes, materials for secondary students or calculator.
School Costs Poster (2022)
School Costs Guide for Printing (2022)
Sunshine Bendigo
Sunshine Bendigo collect and distribute essential new and pre-loved baby goods and nursery equipment to families in need. Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 10am – 3pm. Daly Street. Long Gully.
Transition to Independent Living Allowance
TILA is a payment of up to $1,500 from the Australian Government to help eligible young people pay for basic costs involved in moving out on their own for the first time.
Youth Cadet-ship Scheme
Provides opportunities for young people who may have faced barriers to employment to complete traineeships within the public sector.
The Smile Squad program will visit Victorian Public schools to conduct a free annual dental health examination and provide free follow up treatment as needed for all primary and secondary students.