Marist180

Marist180 provides residential care for children and young people who are unable to live at home with their families. The focus of the not for profit organisation is on assisting families, children & young people at risk. Marist180 also provides residential support to Unaccompanied Humanitarian Minors. The organisation began as Marist Community Services in 1994 to continue the work of the Marist Brothers. In 2002, its name changed to Marist Youth Care and then again in 2016 to Marist180. In 2018, Marist180 transferred its adoption services to the new organisation Family Spirit.

Marist Community Services evolved from the programmes run by the Marist Brothers in and after St Vincent’s Boys Home closed.

Historically, Marist180 can be traced back to 1896. The Marist Brothers in Australia, in partnership with the Society of St Vincent de Paul established the St Vincent’s Boys home at Westmead for orphaned or homeless boys.

In 1968 the St Vincent de Paul Society withdrew from the partnership, leaving the Marist Brothers solely responsible for the ownership and operation of St Vincent’s. During the 1970’s, the model of care began to move away from the traditional denominational children’s home structure to a different model of service delivery. In 1985 the service moved from the old building at Hawksbury Road into two houses in Darcy Road, Westmead and a medium-term program in Blacktown. The Blacktown service moved to Toongabbie and in 1998 the service became a semi-support community-based programme.

Marist180 manages records of St Vincent’s Boys’ Home.