A Budget That Builds Potential: Investing in Children, Young People and Families

Opinion Editorial

Peter Monaghan - Marist180 CEO

Marist180 Heart

As the NSW Treasurer prepares to deliver the 2025–26 Budget, Marist180 joins with the broader social services sector in calling for a budget that reflects our shared values—fairness, dignity, and opportunity for all.

Budgets are more than numbers. They are a reflection of what we prioritise as a community. They show who we choose to support, and the kind of future we want to build. ‘Budget Night’ serves as a timely reminder to our political leaders that the most powerful choice they can make is to invest in the rights, strengths, and futures of children, young people, and families.

Every young person has potential. With the right support, they can thrive in education, employment, relationships, and community life. But too often, that potential is constrained by systems that are under-resourced and reactive. We know what works— and we know that investment in early support, safe housing, and culturally responsive services delivers better outcomes for everyone.

Early Intervention: Supporting Families to Stay Strong

Providing families with the right support early strengthens family bonds, helps young people thrive, and reduces the need to navigate complex service systems over time. These programs are not a cost, they are a commitment to equity and wellbeing.

We support:

• Tripling investment in early intervention and family preservation services—an estimated $384 million annually (Fams & LCSA).

• Investment in youth hubs, diversion programs, and education/employment pathways. Every child and young person deserves support before crisis—not after.

First Nations Leadership: Self-Determination in Practice

Aboriginal communities hold deep cultural strength, knowledge, and connection— strengths that must be at the heart of any response to the challenges facing Aboriginal children and young people.

Aboriginal children and young people deserve services that reflect their culture, community, and leadership. Yet they remain dramatically overrepresented in homelessness, care, and justice systems. The solutions must be led by Aboriginal communities, grounded in culture, and resourced for impact.

Investment in Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations is not just a policy response—it is a step toward justice, self-determination, and better outcomes for Aboriginal children, families, and communities.

We support:

• Implementation of the Family is Culture recommendations.

• Increased investment in Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCOs).

• $440,000 annually for Aboriginal policy roles and funding to implement the NSW Aboriginal DFV Plan (DVNSW, 2024).

Self-determination is not optional—it’s essential.

Housing: A Foundation for Participation

Access to a secure safe home is a basic human right and the foundation for social and economic participation. For young people, it’s the launch pad for education, employment, and connection to community. Those leaving care, exiting custody, or seeking safety from violence often face the greatest barriers to stable housing, despite their resilience, aspirations, and potential. Yet the scale of unmet need is stark: as of September 2024, more than 61,000 households were on the social housing waitlist in NSW, with some waiting over a decade to be housed (Homelessness NSW, 2024).

Marist 180 supports the sector’s call for:

• Investment of 2.6 billion per year for the next 10 years to grow social housing by 5,000 properties per year, including acquiring existing stock to fast-track housing of priority cohorts (Homelessness NSW)

• Youth-specific housing models and transitional accommodation for care leavers and justice-involved young people.

Housing is not just shelter—it’s stability, safety, and a springboard for opportunity.

Crisis and Transitional Accommodation: Safety with Dignity

Young people in crisis deserve responses that are safe, respectful, and empowering. Yet services are stretched thin. A recent survey found that 39% of homelessness services had to close their doors at least once in a fortnight due to overwhelming demand (Homelessness Australia, 2024). Communities must be resourced with services that offer not just shelter, but connection, healing, and pathways forward.

We support:

• A 30% uplift in Specialist Homelessness Services funding.

• $1.2 million for crisis beds and caseworkers for non-residents.

• Investment in culturally safe, trauma-informed transitional housing. (Homelessness Australia, 2024) These investments recognise the resilience of young people and ensure they are met with dignity and care.

Domestic and Family Violence: Healing Through Holistic Support

Domestic and family violence is a leading driver of homelessness and child protection involvement. Services are overwhelmed, and funding has not kept pace with the growing need.

Young people impacted by DFV need more than protection—they need restoration, advocacy, and long-term support. Their experiences must be met with trauma-informed care and systems that centre their voices, respond with compassion, and walk alongside them in recovery.

We support:

• A $163 million increase in baseline funding for DFV services

• Investment in the implementation of the NSW Aboriginal Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Plan

• Integrated responses that recognise the intersection of DFV with youth homelessness and care. (DVNSW)

Safety is a right. Recovery is possible. Investment makes it real.

Mental Health: Investing in the Wellbeing of Children, Young People, and Families

Mental health is foundational to thriving families and resilient communities. Yet, young people in NSW are facing unprecedented levels of psychological distress, with adolescents reporting the highest rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation across all age groups (Black Dog Institute, 2024). The time to act is now.

We support:

• Investment to build and sustain the Mental Health Workforce (MHCC)

• Expansion of integrated primary care models in NSW PHN’s $1.975 million/year (MHCC)

• A commitment to five-year funding cycles and indexation.(MHA)

👥 Workforce: Sustaining the People Who Make It Possible

The youth and community services workforce is the backbone of our sector. These are the people who walk alongside young people, build trust, and drive meaningful change. Investing in their wellbeing, skills, and career pathways delivers a high-impact return, not only for the workforce itself, but for the young people, families, and communities they support. This Budget is an opportunity to see this essential workforce as an investment in social cohesion, community strengthening, and long-term economic resilience.

We support:

• Investment in workforce development, training, and retention strategies.

• Secure, indexed funding for frontline roles.

A strong workforce means stronger outcomes for young people.

NSW Can Lead

NSW has the opportunity to lead the nation in building a fairer, more inclusive future. A budget that invests in children, young people, and families is a budget that invests in all of us. Marist180 stands ready to work with government, communities, and young people to deliver the change we know is possible. We are looking for the NSW Treasurer to deliver a budget that reflects who we are, and who we aspire to be.