The Transitions from care policy team at the Victorian Government’s Department of Families, Fairness and Housing works with the Brotherhood of St Laurence, service providers and key stakeholders to drive ongoing development of the Better Futures practice model.

The Victorian Government funds Better Futures and a range of other transition from care services.

The Brotherhood of St Laurence (BSL) plays the role of an enabling organisation and works with DFFH and service providers to foster collaboration and learning and promote consistency in practice. This work includes:

• developing resources and guides to support Advantaged Thinking practice
• coordinating and facilitating sector training
• coordinating and leading the Better Futures Community of Practice for statewide service providers and key stakeholders.

The Transitions from care Youth Expert Advisory Group (YEAG) are a collective of young people with a care experience. They ensure the voice and expertise of young people with lived experience inform the service design, implementation, and evaluation of the Better Futures and Home Stretch. 

More information is available on the DFFH website. 

The Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency, VACCA, provides the Better Futures Program across all of its metropolitan and regional locations. We provide culturally safe supports and Home Stretch Funding to young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people leaving care to make steps towards independence.

For resources and materials for Aboriginal young people in Better Futures as well as information on our locations, please visit the Better Futures VACCA website.

Permanent Care and Adoptive Families’ role is to engage young people with the Better Futures program by providing linkage to their local service provider and the Better Futures staff. 

This support stays with the young person until they are 21 from whatever age they enter the program, it can help young people with simple day-to-day things like travel on public transport or new clothes for a job interview to larger scale life decisions like helping young people move house and find their own place.

For more information, visit the Permanent Care and Adoptive Families website.

CREATE Foundation is the national consumer body representing the voices of children and young people with an out-of-home care experience (including kinship care, foster care, and residential care). CREATE develops policy and research to report on and advocate for a better care system.

CREATE runs connection and empowerment programs, to support children and young people with an out-of-home care experience to have their say. The insights shared by these young people inform our advocacy. 

To help young people make that are transitioning from care reach their full potential, CREATE have developed Better Futures and Home Stretch animations and factsheets.

For more information, visit the CREATE Foundation website.

The Centre is the Victorian peak body for Child and Family Services.  

The Centre advocates for the rights of children and young people to be heard, to be safe, to access education and to remain connected to family, community and culture. They represent over 100 Victorian organisations working across the continuum of child and family services, from prevention and early intervention to the provision of out of home care.  

For more information about their services and training, visit the CFECFW – Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare website.

Raising Expectations is a program led by the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare in partnership with Victorian TAFE and universities. They support young people in out-of-home care and care leavers to aspire to, access and succeed in tertiary education. 

Raising Expectations assists care experienced young people in many ways including: 

• Dedicated support at Raising Expectations TAFE and university partners  
• Pathway planning 
• Resources, advice, and advocacy 
• Help with accessing various academic, financial, and mental health supports.

Raising Expectations also has two free peer mentoring programs:  

• Game Changers – for TAFE or university students with a care experience. 
• Level Up – for care experienced young people aged 15-18, wanting to engage in education and build aspiration for positive post-secondary pathways. 

For more information, visit the Raising Expectations website.

LOOKOUT Education Centres support all children and young people with a care experience to stay engaged in education. 

They advocate for young people in schools by:

• advising and training school staff to support the educational and socio-emotional needs of students, and work towards their best interests
• supporting and advocating for schools to prioritise and provide students with career education, access to supportive employers and work experience.

For more information, visit LOOKOUT Education Support Centres.