It’s Youth Homelessness Matters Day on 15 April. It’s where we come together and raise awareness for the serious issue of being homeless at a young age. Currently, 44,000 young people are homeless around Australia.

The theme this year for Youth Homelessness Matters Day is early intervention and I believe that a major part of early intervention is education. Recently, I read a study titled ‘The Cost of Youth Homelessness in Australia’[2] by the UWA Centre for Social Impact, Swinburne University of Technology and Charles Sturt University, published 17 February 2015.

The study found that young homeless people over the age of 18 had experienced homelessness, or sleeping rough, at a younger age. This has a devastating effect on their future, as they often leave school and drop out of their communities. Not receiving a proper education leads to unemployment and future homelessness. This is why I consider education a form of early intervention.

The mainstream schooling system isn’t always the best option for these young people. This is where a flexible learning becomes important.

At the Youth Off The Streets’ independent schools we focus on flexible learning and a holistic approach to education. As well as providing essential nutrition, our schools offer an environment that caters to the needs of young people.

In 2014, our schools helped 38 young people graduate from year 10, nine from year 11 and six from year 12. Youth Off The Streets’ schools are a great example of equipping disengaged and disadvantaged young people with the tools they need to secure future employment.

On Youth Homelessness Matters Day, think of the 44,000 young people that are homeless around Australia and support the different events, initiatives and organisations that are working to get young people off the streets.