About St John's Youth Services

St John’s Youth Services is a community based organisation located in the city of Adelaide, South Australia.

We specialise in providing services and support to disadvantaged and homeless young people and children.

We are the only agency to provide emergency accommodation and support to homeless young people and children in the inner-city of Adelaide.

Each year:

• About 1,000 homeless young people are referred to St John’s, with up to 800 young men and young women accommodated.
• Occupancy rates are consistently high or at capacity
• 40% of young women are escaping violence
• A quarter of all young women have dependent children
• Of the children accommodated, most are less than 2 years of age. St John’s receives no funding for childcare and crisis support for these young parents.
• Almost two thirds of homeless young people have serious health problems. Over one third have a chronic illness. Almost one in ten have injuries requiring medical assistance, and as many again have infections.  About one in twenty have a permanent disability.
• About one in four young people accommodated have a medically diagnosed mental health problem.
• There are very few safe and secure options for clients leaving emergency accommodation, with over 90% unable to access longer term supported accommodation.

An independent review (instigated by Government) of the emergency services provided by St John’s was conducted at the end of 1999. It found that funding levels were inadequate and recommended additional recurrent funding.  To maintain the services we currently offer to young people in crisis, we must also raise additional funds from the community