Berry Street exists to help children, young people and families experiencing poverty, violence and abuse, and to help families stay together in safe and healthy homes so they can create the future they imagine for themselves. This is what we mean by ‘believing in children, young people, families and their future’. We are one of Australia’s largest independent non denominational child and family service organisations founded on leading social and systemic change. We began in 1877 when a group of courageous women defied the social norms of the day to care for mothers and babies who had been abandoned. We continue to question and evolve our ways of working, listening to the voices of those who have experienced poverty, violence and abuse. We’ve learned the importance of keeping children with their families and supporting Aboriginal children and families to connect to culture. We see that for some young people and their families, life is getting worse. More children are being removed from home than ever before. More young people are presenting as disengaged and underlying this is trauma from the impacts of poverty, violence and abuse. We respond to the challenges around us by exploring the best evidence and research. The breadth, influence and expertise of our work, mean that we are well-placed to lead meaningful, lasting change. Our success, depends on our people, their wellbeing, and the quality of the relationships they build. Our values-based culture means staff and carers feel supported, and that they belong.
