Mariam’s* teenage years were shaped by loss, instability and responsibility.
After her mother passed away, Mariam and her younger sister Sarah* were left in the care of their father.
This period of their lives became increasingly unstable. Their father was struggling with substance misuse, including both prescription medication and illicit drugs.
While still a child herself, Mariam stepped into the role of parent. She became responsible for putting food on the table, keeping the house clean and caring for both her younger sister and their father.
The weight of these responsibilities came at a cost. Mariam stopped going to school so that she could keep the household functioning – a decision reinforced by her father, who blamed her when things weren’t in order.
Six months later, their father was arrested and refused bail.
Overnight, the sisters found themselves completely alone. There was no certainty about where they would live and no clear path forward.
Just one week later, they received an eviction notice.
Shortly after, Mariam was connected to Youth Off The Streets. Together with Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) Child Protection Services, staff advocated for the sisters and helped them relocate to their grandmother’s home.
While the arrangement provided immediate safety, it wasn’t a long-term solution. The home was already overcrowded and both girls were struggling with their mental health. They were grieving their mother, carrying the effects of years of instability and the trauma of witnessing their father’s repeated intoxication and arrest.
“I was scared, tired and didn’t know what to do”
Three months later, their father was released from custody.
Mariam and Sarah hoped his return might bring some certainty to their lives. Instead, it brought new fear.
Soon after his release, their father began contacting Mariam and demanding money. When she tried to establish boundaries, he responded with intimidation and threats.
Eventually, he arrived at their grandmother’s home carrying a weapon.
Fearing for both her life and Sarah’s, Mariam handed over the money and waited until he left before calling the police. Although officers attended, she felt too frightened to pursue a formal report.
The next morning, before staff had even arrived for the day, Mariam was waiting outside the Youth Off The Streets office.
“The day I was sitting outside the office after the gun was put to my head, I was scared, tired and didn’t know what to do,” says Mariam. “I knew for sure they would know how to make me okay again and what I needed to do next.”
Youth Off The Streets staff sat with Mariam, talked through her options and supported her to make a police report. As a result, her father was arrested and an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) was put in place.
The cost of choosing safety
While the AVO increased her physical safety, it came at a significant personal cost. Within her cultural community, involving police against a family member carried considerable stigma.
When Mariam returned to her grandmother’s home, her belongings had been placed on the front lawn. She was told never to return or contact the family again.
Threatening phone calls and messages soon followed.
At just 16 years old, Mariam and her younger sister became homeless because she had chosen to protect them from violence.
They had lost more than a home. They had lost family connections, friendships, community and a sense of belonging.
Together with DCJ, Youth Off The Streets staff supported the sisters to access safe accommodation and rebuild stability during one of the most traumatic periods of their lives. They received case management support and referrals to other services to help address their broader wellbeing needs, including mental health support and alternative education pathways. Youth Off The Streets provided furniture and food vouchers, helping the sisters settle safely into their new home.
For the first time in years, they had consistent support from trusted adults and a secure place to live.
As much as a roof over their heads, wraparound support is essential for vulnerable young people to heal and rebuild.
“Youth Off The Streets means safety,” says Mariam. “When everything in my life was falling apart, they were the people I could trust. They stood by me when I felt completely alone and helped me protect myself.”
Reclaiming their future
Eventually, Mariam and Sarah made the difficult decision to move away from the community they had always known, choosing safety and stability instead.
Over time, that stability created opportunity.
After years spent navigating grief, violence, their father’s substance misuse and the loss of their home and support network, both sisters were finally able to focus on the future.
Mariam re-engaged with education and began rebuilding the future she had sacrificed while caring for her family. Sarah also returned to school without fear.
Today, Mariam is completing a nursing degree.
It’s a future she struggled to imagine as a young person facing family violence and homelessness.
“I don’t know where Sarah and I would’ve ended up,” says Mariam. “We had nowhere to go, no one to rely on and so many difficult decisions to make.”
“Youth Off The Streets helped us find safety when we hit rock bottom.”
*Name and image changed to protect the privacy of the young person
What is complex disadvantage?
Mariam and Sarah’s experience shows what complex disadvantage can look like for young people.
Complex disadvantage occurs when multiple challenges overlap and reinforce one another.
For many young people, issues such as family violence, homelessness, mental health challenges, education disengagement, substance misuse, involvement with the justice system and disconnection from culture don’t occur in isolation.
Instead, each challenge can make the next harder to overcome.
For Mariam, the loss of her mother led to increased caring responsibilities. Her father’s substance misuse created an unstable and violent home environment. The burden of caring for the family, combined with ongoing grief, violence and intimidation, affected both Mariam’s and her sister’s safety, education and mental wellbeing. When Mariam sought protection, cultural stigma resulted in the loss of her housing and her connection to family and community.
Without support, these compounding experiences significantly limit a young person’s options and opportunities.
That’s why Youth Off The Streets takes a holistic approach, supporting young people to address the interconnected challenges affecting their lives.
With this wraparound support, young people have the opportunity to build safety, stability and the future they want for themselves.
