In 1972, the St Joseph's Orphanage relocated to a site in North Street, Grafton and became known as St Joseph's Cowper Children's Homes. This change was to replace dormitory style accommodation with family group homes and to have an easier access to education, medical and leisure opportunities for those in residential care. The land was part of a bequest while the new accommodation was provided for out of the sale of the farmland at Cowper and public donations. By then the financial needs of the agency were being partly provided for by the State Government. In the late 1970s the Dalton Report called for, among other things, an upgrading of the quality of care provided for children and young people in group homes and the provision of greater financial support by the Government for recurrent spending in residential care. St Joseph's changed to Alternate Care and Accommodation funding in 1985. While this funding was based on a percentage of the previous year's expenses, it nevertheless provided increased finance for St Joseph's to embark on the creative innovations that have brought it to its present form.

Location

1972 - 1993

St Joseph's Cowper Children's Homes situated at North Street, Grafton. Location: Grafton