Strong Foundations, Not Emergency Repairs: Because Families Deserve Better Than Crisis Response
- marketing8445
- Jun 27
- 2 min read
The 2025–26 NSW Budget has landed with a historic investment in out-of-home care. It’s a welcome step, but it misses the mark on what matters most: keeping families safely together in the first place.
Every child deserves to grow up in a safe, stable environment. Every young person deserves the chance to build a future with confidence and support. These are values we all share, and they should be reflected in how we allocate public resources.
This year’s budget shows that government is willing to spend when things go wrong. But what if we focused on getting things right from the start?
We know that early intervention works. It’s like reinforcing a bridge before it collapses, not waiting until people fall through. The government’s own evaluation confirms that early support for families works, it reduces the need for statutory intervention and delivers strong returns, with up to $4.90 in social value for every $1 invested. Yet despite overwhelming demand and a clear evidence base, the budget failed to increase funding for Targeted Early Intervention (TEI).
Young people are facing growing pressures, housing stress, underemployment, and mental health challenges. But the systems designed to support them are stretched thin. Regional youth services remain underfunded. Youth-specific housing models are absent and the modest $20million invested for crisis and transitional housing leaves the housing sector drastically underfunded. Meanwhile the workforce that supports them, skilled, compassionate, and deeply committed, continues to operate without the security it needs.
Marist180's Homelessness Services Manager, Samira Chemeit says “Stable housing and early intervention through Homelessness and TEI funding doesn’t just change lives, we see it shaping futures. It’s the kind of investment NSW needs to scale up.”
We welcome the NSW Government’s commitment to Aboriginal children, young people, and families in the 2025–26 Budget. The $246.8 million investment across 14 Closing the Gap initiatives, including culturally safe programs like Aboriginal Families First and Aboriginal Throughcare, reflects a growing recognition that Aboriginal-led, community-driven solutions are essential to achieving lasting change. These initiatives not only honour the strength and leadership of Aboriginal communities but also lay the groundwork for more just, culturally responsive systems that support children and families to thrive.
This budget is a starting point. It shows that government is starting to listen. But it also shows that we need to keep pushing for a system that builds strong foundations, not just emergency repairs.
At Marist180, we remain committed to working alongside government, communities, and young people to build a future where prevention is prioritised, lived experience is valued, and every child and young person is supported to thrive.
