Ruby's Reunification Program

The Hon. J.S. LEE (14:40): My question is to the Minister for Human Services about the prevention of youth homelessness. Can the minister please provide an update to the council about the meaningful initiatives undertaken by Ruby's Reunification Program and their work to prevent youth homelessness?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:41): I thank the honourable member for her question. Ruby's Reunification Program celebrated its 25^th birthday quite recently on 21 November at its original site in the inner western suburbs. I acknowledge that my colleagues the Minister for Child Protection, the member for Hurtle Vale and the member for Badcoe were also in attendance to join in the celebrations, as was—I should have said at first—the Governor. I apologise profusely to the Governor for not acknowledging his presence initially.

Ruby's is a rather unique program which was particularly ground breaking at the time. It's an early intervention service which is funded through the National Affordable Housing Agreement and the Department of Human Services. In 1992 a successful tender application by Tea Tree Gully Youth Housing Inc and the Adelaide Central Mission saw the service launched in 1993. It supports young people and their families.

As we know, one of the largest factors in youth homelessness is that young people can find that their home situation becomes intolerable to the point where they leave and that's because of relationship breakdowns or there may be instances of domestic violence. The program provides a therapeutic youth service. It operates 365 days a year to provide accommodation and support to young people aged 12 to 17 years who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and also to their families.

It supports a minimum of 54 young people in metropolitan Adelaide, and 18 young people in Mount Gambier per year. The service provides young people with a safe roof over their head and also provides counselling to the young person and to their families and has a highly successful rate in terms of reunification. Obviously, it is fantastic to have those relationships brought back together and has the dual aim of ensuring that young people don't enter the homelessness system.

The house is an effective addition to the support that families can access through counselling and it provides time and space for the clients to connect with parts of themselves. It is operating in additional locations. The initial one, as I said, was in the inner west but it was expanded in 2010 to include sites at Enfield, Edwardstown and Mount Gambier. We thank the people who have been involved in that service over the years and commend the young people and their families for the work they have done with their relationships to mend those ties. We wish Ruby's well into the future.