WMQ launches innovative program for young parents in housing crisis
Young parents navigating housing instability will be supported by an innovative pilot program that brings together health and housing systems to provide early, coordinated, and practical support.
Wesley Mission Queensland will run the Housing and Support Link Service (HSLS), offering case management for young pregnant women and young parents aged 16–25 who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness and who are currently connected to the Gold Coast University Hospital.
Wesley Mission Queensland Youth and Family Support Services Manager Tessa Neil said the current housing crisis meant finding and maintaining housing was harder than ever, adding to the challenges of early parenthood.
‘Ensuring safe and secure housing is a basic need that helps reduce the risk of crisis and allows parents to focus on caring for their baby,’ Ms Neil said.
This new service will offer case management support that focuses on housing stability and practical life foundations. The program is designed to link in young people, who may be overwhelmed as new parents in a volatile housing market, with existing supports for holistic care.
Alongside housing support, workers assist clients to connect with relevant services such as health, family support, mental health, domestic and family violence services, and parenting programs, ensuring supports are coordinated and appropriate.
By using a strengths-based, trauma-informed approach we will work with young people to improve housing stability, intervene early before crisis, strengthen engagement with health and community services, reduce stress for young parents, and improve wellbeing for both parent and child.
Wesley Mission Queensland is proud to partner with the Queensland Government Department of Housing and Public Works and the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service to deliver the service.
The program also partners with Waijungbah Jarjums to provide holistic, culturally safe support for young First Nations parents, helping strengthen community and cultural connections and build kinship networks that support families now and into the future.