Better Futures - DFFH Service Providers

Supporting young people early in their transition from care.

Better Futures supports young people who are making the transition from care to adulthood until they reach the age of 21. The program supports young people to have an active voice in their transition planning.

Better Futures includes:

case work support
information and advice
access to flexible funding
Community Connections.

Better Futures provides tailored supports both in-care and post-care, across a range of life areas including:

housing and living skills
health and wellbeing
education
employment
community and cultural connections.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a referral to Better Futures, a young person must be aged 15 years and 9 months and in either:

kinship care
foster care
residential care
permanent care.

They must also be in care services on either a:

care by Secretary order
long-term care order
family reunification order
permanent care order and residing with their permanent carer.

Young people are eligible for support from Better Futures until they reach the age of 21.

Referral

Kinship, foster or residential care

Child Protection case managers, contracted case managers and Aboriginal Children in Aboriginal Care (ACAC) case managers refer young people to Better Futures.

Permanent care

A referral pathway, for young people subject to permanent care orders to Better Futures, is via Permanent Care and Adoptive Families or the Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency.

Visit Permanent Care and Adoptive Families,

Email info@pcafamilies.org.au
Phone 03 9020 1833.

Visit Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency

Email pcopathways@vacca.org.

More information

Young people on permanent care orders - Information for Better Futures providers (Word)

Available supports

In care

The Better Futures worker engages with the young person and/or their care team. The Better Futures worker assists the young person’s transition to adulthood up until the age of 21.

Better Futures workers provide secondary consultation to a young person’s care team. They lend expertise to the transition planning process and identify goals and actions for inclusion in the 15+ Care and Transition Plan.

Better Futures workers do not assume lead responsibility for case work support while the young person is subject to a statutory order. Support gradually increases as the young person prepares to leave care – usually approximately 6 months prior.

In limited circumstances the Better Futures worker will provide direct case work support to a young person still in care.

Flexible funding

Better Futures workers will have access to flexible funding to support achievement of goals that directly relate to transition.

Post Care

Better Futures workers provide case work support to a young person up to 21 years of age.

Flexible levels of support

Depending on the young person’s circumstances, they may receive high, medium, or low levels of support, or be placed on active hold (quick check in). The capacity of the Better Futures provider also determines the level of support available to the young person.

Flexible funding (brokerage)

Through the Better Futures worker, the young person will have access to flexible funding to support their transition goals.

These funds do not replace other discretionary funding, such as the Commonwealth Transition to Independent Living Allowance (TILA).

Melbourne City Mission administers the TILA program in Victoria. Better Futures workers can help young people apply for TILA.

Community Connections

Community Connections is a key service offer of the Better Futures model. It aims to build supportive networks, pathways, and opportunities for young people within their communities.

Community Connectors give young people opportunities to:

join outings and activities to help connect them to their community
access jobs and education to help them work towards their personal and professional goals
be paired with volunteer mentors from the community who provide young people with advice on achieving their life goals and aspirations.

Community Connectors do not provide case work. They play a key role in the young person’s Better Futures care team along with their Better Futures worker or case manager if the young person is in care.

Practice advice

To support the implementation of Better Futures, a series of practice advice documents have been developed:

Transitions from Care Youth Expert Advisory Group (YEAG)

The Youth Expert Advisory Group (YEAG) ensures the voice and expertise of young people with lived experience informs the design, implementation and evaluation of the Better Futures, Home Stretch and Housing First initiatives.

Young people aged 18 to25 with care experience provide advice, feedback and recommendations to government and the community services sector to inform policy and practice.

For more information visit the Transitions from Care Youth Expert Advisory Group webpage.

Better Futures (Advantaged Thinking) Practice Framework

Better Futures is underpinned by the Advantaged Thinking theoretical approach.

Advantaged Thinking is based on the work of Colin Falconer from the Foyer Federation in the United Kingdom and is used in a variety of settings across Australia, including Victoria's Education First Youth Foyers.

The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (the department) has worked with the Brotherhood of St Laurence (BSL) to develop a Better Futures (Advantaged Thinking) Practice Framework.

This framework guides workers to work in an 'Advantaged Thinking way', engaging with young people using a strengths-based approach, recognising and building their talents and aspirations, as well as assisting them to overcome challenges.

Watch the video of Colin Falconer's presentation Open Talent at TEDx.

Better Futures (Advantaged Thinking) Practice Framework.

For more information on training and development opportunities for Better Futures workers, visit: Service Overview – Better Futures.

More information

For more information, see:

Leaving care