Sturt Community Unit was the new name given to Unit Living, Marion, in 1990. Run by the government it consisted of five self-contained units in Sturt. The Sturt Unit provided longer term residential care and support to a range of children in State care. In 1995 the Sturt Community Unit closed and was replaced by the Sturt Assessment Unit.
Sturt Community Unit was the new name given to Unit Living Marion in 1990. Run by the Department for Family and Community Services, it consisted of five self-contained units at Diagonal Road, Sturt.
Community Units provided longer term residential care and support to a range of children in State care. These included young people remanded by the Children's Court, children deemed to be 'at risk' and some children considered to have behavioural problems. Some Community Units were designed to provide assistance to young people making the transition to independent living.
The Report from the Children in State Care Inquiry 2004-2008 states that in the 1990s children as young as eight years of age were sometimes placed in Community Units and that at times, young children were placed with older residents.
In 1992 when Clarence Park Assessment Unit closed some of its functions were taken over by the Sturt Community Unit.
In 1995 the Sturt Community Unit was replaced by the purpose-built Sturt Assessment Unit which was built on the same site.
Sources used to compile this entry: George, Karen, Finding your own way, Nunkuwarrin Yunti of South Australia Inc., 2005, http://nunku.org.au/resources/; Mullighan, the Hon E.P., Children in State Care Commission of Inquiry: Allegations of sexual abuse and death from criminal conduct, presented to the South Australian Parliament by the Hon. E.P. Mullighan QC, Commisioner, Children in State Care Commission of Enquiry, Adelaide, South Australia, 2008, 564 pp, https://www.childprotection.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/107201/children-in-state-care-commission-of-inquiry-introducation.pdf; Annual Report for the Department for Family and Community Services, 1991/92; Annual Report for the Department for Family and Community Services, 1995.
Prepared by: Gary George and Karen George
Created: 18 February 2011, Last modified: 13 June 2014
Last updated: 7 August 2023
Cite this: https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/sa/biogs/SE00231b.htm
First published by the Find & Connect Web Resource Project for the Commonwealth of Australia, 2011
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