Reconnect service for youth homelessness

Policy topic: Housing

In short

Reconnect is the Australian Government’s community-based early intervention and prevention youth homelessness program.

It helps and supports young people and their families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

You can access Reconnect services if:

  • you’re aged 12 to 18
  • you’re new to Australia and aged 12 to 21.

Find a Reconnect service near you

If you or someone you know is having problems at home or school and worries about becoming homeless, contact your local Reconnect service.

Reconnect can offer:

  • mediation
  • counselling
  • group work
  • referrals to other services and support.

Reconnect services

The government funds 70 organisations to deliver Reconnect across 101 Reconnect services nationally. Reconnect is available in every state and territory.

Reconnect doesn’t provide crisis or temporary housing.

See Help and support for housing for crisis and urgent accommodation support

Reconnect program

The Reconnect program helps around 8,400 young people and their families each year by keeping them connected with:

  • their families
  • education and training
  • employment opportunities
  • their local communities.

To meet the aims of the Reconnect program, service providers follow 8 good practice principles:

  • client-centred: delivering flexible services that can adapt to the needs of young people and their families
  • accessible: visible and responsive to young people in their local community
  • sustainable: empowering young people to achieve more sustainable outcomes
  • relationship-based: constructive working relationships between young people and Reconnect services
  • collaborative: developing effective working relationships to enable a streamlined service system)
  • holistic: using a range of strategies to address all aspects of a young person’s life, including their education, family, and community
  • culturally and contextually competent: taking a sensitive approach to cultural and contextual differences.

See Resources for Reconnect service providers

Working with family and carers

Reconnect aims to prevent youth homelessness by:

  • improving a young person’s relationship with their family or carer, where it’s safe to do so
  • helping young people stay in school or work
  • encouraging a young person’s connection in their community.

This means taking young people’s whole life circumstances into consideration.

Reconnect workers support young people through:

  • assessment and goal setting: aiming to set longer-term goals, not just resolving the immediate issue
  • collaboration and referrals to other services: specialist health services and education facilities
  • advocacy services: representing their views and needs to other services or their family
  • counselling and mediation: aiming to achieve family reconciliation, where it’s safe to do so
  • group-work: offering a support network that may include peers or siblings
  • outreach services: providing support in locations where the young person feels safe, such as the library, park or home
  • practical support: help accessing services such as income support or training and employment opportunities.

Reconnect does not replace child protection agencies or provide crisis or temporary housing.

See Help and support for housing for crisis and urgent accommodation support

Review of the Reconnect Program 2024

In 2024, Nous Group conducted an independent review of the Reconnect Program on behalf of the Australian Government.

The review assessed the appropriateness, effectiveness and efficiency of the program.

The review heard from over 730 participants including:

  • Reconnect clients
  • Reconnect service providers
  • young people with lived experience of homelessness
  • state and territory government representatives
  • representatives from the housing and homelessness and community services sectors
  • academics.

The review was finalised in June 2024.

See the Reconnect Program review final report

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