Support programs for children and young people experiencing domestic and family violence

Specialist Workers for Children and Young People program

The Specialist Workers for Children and Young People (SWCYP) program aims to:

• break the cycle of disadvantage
• improve client outcomes

for children and young people under 18 years of age who:

• are experiencing or at risk of homelessness
• have been impacted by domestic and family violence (DFV).

In May 2024, the NSW Government announced an additional $245.6 million over 4 years to expand programs that support victim-survivors of:

• domestic violence
• family violence
• sexual violence.

This includes $48.1 million to extend the SWCYP program and expand the program into more refuges.

Program objectives

Following an expansion of the SWCYP program in September 2024, specialist support is now offered to accompanied children and young people in over 32 women’s refuges across NSW.

The objectives of the SWCYP program are to:

• determine which children and young people require specialist children’s support
• provide direct and tailored services and support to children and young people
• ensure those services and support are trauma informed, child-centred and culturally safe
• support children and young people to access mainstream and specialist services.

SWCYP Program Evaluation

An evaluation of the SWCYP program’s first 12 months of operation from 2022 to 2023 found the program is achieving positive outcomes for children and young people. It recommends the continuation and expansion of the program to other women’s refuges.

SWCYP Program Evaluation Report

Program specifications

The Specialist Workers for Children and Young People program specifications provide guidelines for the implementation and delivery of the SWCYP program.

For further information please contact dfvprograms@dcj.nsw.gov.au. 

Accompanied Children Support Services

The Accompanied Children Support Services (ACSS) program has been allocated $5.2 million over 4 years to 30 June 2026. This is for piloting specialist supports for accompanied children and young people in homelessness services who:

• have experienced domestic and family violence
• are currently experiencing domestic and family violence.

The pilot is being delivered by:

• Domestic Violence Services Management (DVSM) in Blacktown
• Orana Support Service (Orana) in Dubbo.

It involves an interdisciplinary team of 5 specialist workers in each location. The service began on 1 January 2023.

The pilot targets children and young people who are:

• accompanied by an adult (i.e., parent, older sibling, family member, kin etc.) who is receiving support from:
  • DVSM in Blacktown or
  • Orana specialist homelessness services in Dubbo
• experiencing, or are at risk of, homelessness
• experiencing, or who have experienced, domestic and family violence.

Support may be provided a refuge setting or in an outreach setting. This depends on the capacity of the service provider and the needs of the children or young people. The ACSS is also implemented in a way that is person-centred and trauma-informed.

This service also includes a brokerage component. This aims to enhance opportunities for children and young people to achieve the goals in their case plans.

Pilot objectives

The objectives of the ACSS pilot are to:

• Identify accompanied children and young people who:
  • are homeless or at risk of homelessness
  • have experienced domestic and family violence
  • need personalised support.
• Support children and young people to:
  • achieve their goals
  • manage trauma associated with homelessness and a domestic and family violence experience.
• Improve the short-, medium- and long-term outcomes of children and young people
• Ensure children and young people are connected to:
  • ongoing support after the ACSS
  • family and community.
• Explore whether access to targeted, trauma informed individual case plans enable children to be:
  • more resilient
  • better able to meet psychosocial, educational and wellbeing milestones.

For more information, email dfvprograms@dcj.nsw.gov.au.