Archives



Foster Care Westernport

Foster Care Westernport was established in 1979. As well as providing foster care, it provided respite care for children with disabilities through the Westernport Interchange program. The agency had a separate foster care program for adolescents. In 1991, Foster Care Westernport merged with the Victorian Children’s Aid Society to form the new organisation, Family Focus….

Citizens Welfare Service of Victoria

The Citizens Welfare Service of Victoria came into being in 1947. Previously it was known as the Charity Organisation Society of Melbourne. The name change coincided with a change in focus towards casework and counselling, employing only professionally trained social workers and expanding its ‘client group’ into Melbourne’s northern and western suburbs. The CWS ran…

UnitingCare Werribee Support and Housing

UnitingCare Werribee Support and Housing is an advocacy, housing and support service. It began as Werribee Youth Housing in 1985, later becoming Werribee Support and Housing Inc. and in 2002, it became part of UnitingCare Victoria & Tasmania. UnitingCare Werribee Support and Housing provides foster care through the Bridges program. In 2017, it became Uniting…

Uniting (Victoria and Tasmania) Limited

Uniting (Victoria and Tasmania) Limited was formed in July 2017 and is the community services organisation of the Uniting Church of Australia in Victoria and Tasmania. At its establishment Uniting brought together 24 founding agencies, including 21 UnitingCare agencies and Wesley Mission Victoria. The Uniting Heritage Service is for people (and their family members) who…

Barwon Youth

Barwon Youth was established in 2006, it was previously known as the Barwon Association for Youth Support & Accommodation. Barwon Youth continued to provide community service programs catered to adolescents. It became known as Barwon Child, Youth & Family in 2015 when it merged with Glastonbury Community Services and Time for Youth.

Barwon Child, Youth & Family

Barwon Child, Youth & Family (BCYF) was established on 1 July 2015 as a merger between Glastonbury Community Services, Barwon Youth and Time for Youth. BCYF provided out-of-Home care, placement prevention services, early years; family & community services; youth services and specialist intervention services. On 1 April 2023, BCYF merged with Bethany to form a…

Barwon Association for Youth Support and Accommodation

The Barwon Association for Youth Support and Accommodation (BAYSA) was established in June 1981 to establish and run a regional youth hostel in the Barwon area. BAYSA ran Lismore House and later Wahroonga Hostel. They also operated lead-tenant properties, adolescent foster care programs, programs to assist adolescents who were homeless and other youth service programs….

Department of Health & Human Services, State Government of Victoria

On 1 January 2015, the Victorian Government established the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) to integrate health and human services policies, programs and services. The new DHHS brings together the former Department of Health, former Department of Human Services and Sport and Recreation Victoria. DHHS is responsible for dealing with children placed in…

Melbourne Ragged Boys’ Home and Mission

Melbourne Ragged Boys’ Home and Mission was established in 1895 as residential accommodation for homeless boys in Melbourne. It also continued the work of the Latrobe St School and Mission, where girls could attend classes. This work was carried out in a separate building and was often referred to by this name for some years…

Glastonbury Community Services

Glastonbury Community Services was established in 2011. Previously, the organisation was called Glastonbury Child and Family Services. Based in Geelong, Glastonbury is a provider of out-of-home care, family and community services in regional Victoria. Glastonbury Community Services merged in 2015 with Time for Youth and Barwon Youth to become Barwon, Child Youth & Family.