When it comes to identifying homelessness in children and young people, schools are often the first place where the signs can be seen.
Schools are uniquely positioned to notice when something isn’t right. With daily contact, trusted relationships and a consistent structure, they provide a window into the lives of students that other services don’t often have.
“Schools are the only place young people have to attend,” says Amy Gill, Education Impact and Practice Specialist at Youth Off The Streets. “They’re going to attend 40 weeks a year, five days a week, six hours a day, which means schools are the most protective factor young people have in terms of adults picking up on risk and identifying issues early.”
“Many of the young people we support are experiencing or at risk of homelessness,” says Amy. Youth Off The Streets schools also have a high rate of students directly impacted by domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV). In 2025, that figure was 70 per cent.
But when young people disengage from education, that safety net disappears.
“If young people aren’t going to school, then those risk factors aren’t being seen,” says Amy. “And if you’re never seen, how does anyone notice that there’s a problem occurring?”
Schools need to be able to see the signs
For schools to be able to recognise signs of homelessness, DFSV or disadvantage, staff first need to know what to look for.
“It’s really important to upskill teachers to be that early intervention point,” says Amy.
Risk factors can be present in subtle but telling ways. A student may not have basic school materials, such as homework or books, or may not be wearing the correct uniform. “If a young person has to leave in a moment of safety, they’re not prioritising bringing these things,” says Amy.
Other indicators include food insecurity, hygiene issues or noticeable changes in behaviour. Students may become withdrawn, avoid discussing their home life or disengage from schoolwork. Some young people may instead display disruptive or bullying behaviour, seeking a sense of control at school that they lack elsewhere.
Frequent school changes, reluctance to engage with support services or families withdrawing students altogether can also signal underlying risk – making it harder for schools to intervene early.
“In some cases, if we start making mandatory reports about a young person, the family will pull them from school,” says Amy. “That’s how we end up with ‘nowhere kids’, where there’s no one left with eyes on them.”
While some students experiencing issues may be reluctant to go home, others prefer it – particularly if they’re experiencing family violence and have younger siblings to care for.
“As teachers, we have the opportunity to put these bits of the puzzle together,” says Amy. “That’s why it’s really important for our staff to debrief together and communicate all the time so we get a clearer picture of what is going on for a young person.”
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The consequences of not knowing these risk factors or not taking them seriously can be devastating.
“When I was working in a mainstream school, a student would fall asleep almost every lesson that I taught,” says Amy. “I would just pull a blanket over the top of her. I kept raising wellbeing concerns that something wasn’t right.”
That student turned out to be couch surfing yet was still showing up to school every day because it was a safe, warm place with food.
The role of schools in recovery and healing
“When it comes to longer term recovery and healing, research shows that community and everyday relationships and interactions have the most impact,” says Amy. “Schools can provide relational care in the moment, consistency, routine and basic physiological needs like food and shelter.”
Schools can also ensure risks are formally recognised, making mandatory reports on issues of neglect and homelessness.
Beyond the school gates, connecting students to external supports is critical. At Youth Off The Streets, this is enabled through our wraparound model, where staff can connect students directly with services within the organisation, including homelessness services, DFSV support, alcohol and other drug (AOD) support and First Nations cultural support.
“We all have different roles to play depending on our expertise,” says Amy. “We don’t do everything alone – we draw on other services.”
This therapeutic web extends beyond the young person to their family.
“Often, if something’s going wrong for the young person, something’s going wrong for their family,” says Amy. “If we don’t address that, then we’re never going to move forward with the young person.”
“One parent said that our school was the only service that hadn’t judged them. We understand that often, parents and families are also experiencing trauma and need support as well.”
Without this trauma-informed response, young people risk falling through the cracks.
Xavier* is one example. At his previous school, he was repeatedly suspended for not wearing the correct jumper. Although he was living in unstable accommodation and dealing with trauma at home, his school responded with punishment rather than support. This caused further disengagement, leading him to enrol at Youth Off The Streets’ Bowen College.
The rise of alternative education – and what it reveals
“Homelessness remains one of the most significant and under-recognised drivers of educational disengagement,” says Amy. “Children and young people experiencing homelessness face increased risks of disrupted schooling, poor attendance, lower academic achievement and early school leaving.”
This disengagement is one of several factors contributing to the growing number of students moving out of mainstream education and into alternative settings, which offer more flexible learning environments and are often better equipped to respond to trauma and disadvantage.
Between 2016 and 2024, independent special assistance school enrolments in Australia grew by 276 per cent, compared to a 23 per cent increase in mainstream schools. During this period, the number of special assistance schools doubled to 101.
It’s a shift that raises important questions about which types of schooling are equipped to recognise and respond to the complex realities many young people face – and what happens when their needs go unmet.
