Melbourne City Mission’s Parenting Support Program (PSP) is a vital intervention designed to support marginalised young parents and their children (aged 0–5) who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Delivered through MCM’s Youth Refuges and Family Services, the PSP provides trauma-informed, evidence-based parenting support to families facing multiple layers of disadvantage. The program operates ...
Melbourne City Mission
Parenting Support Program
GOAL
$100,000
Australia
Field of Interest
- Housing and homelessness
- Individual/family services and support
Melbourne City Mission
Established in 1854, Melbourne City Mission (MCM) is a leading non-profit community service organisation in Victoria that uplifts and empowers the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of the community through a broad range of support in: Homelessness, Disability, Mental Health, Early Childhood and Secondary Level Education, Child and Family Services, and Palliative Care.
Project Summary
Melbourne City Mission’s Parenting Support Program (PSP) is a vital intervention designed to support marginalised young parents and their children (aged 0–5) who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Delivered through MCM’s Youth Refuges and Family Services, the PSP provides trauma-informed, evidence-based parenting support to families facing multiple layers of disadvantage.
The program operates through a dual-impact model: direct support to young parents and children, and capacity building across MCM’s frontline workforce. Parenting Support Workers (PSWs) provide one-on-one mentoring, group-based activities, therapeutic referrals, emotional wellbeing monitoring, and practical parenting resources. Simultaneously, PSWs train and consult with MCM staff to embed a child-centred, therapeutic approach across youth and family homelessness services.
Throughout FY25, PSP expanded its reach by onboarding three Family Support Workers, allowing tailored support to approximately 50 families. The introduction of the Peekaboo Program, a trauma-informed intervention for repairing parent-infant attachment post-domestic violence, has further deepened PSP’s clinical impact.
Key achievements include the rollout of a Child Wellbeing Observation Tool, embedding child-focused practices into everyday refuge operations, and securing high levels of parent and staff satisfaction (100% rating of ‘very well supported’).
Awarded the 2023 Victorian Homelessness Achievement Award, PSP continues to lead systemic change by prioritising the developmental needs of young children—often the silent victims of homelessness—while empowering their parents to build safe, nurturing homes.
Looking ahead, PSP seeks to expand its therapeutic parenting framework and strengthen early intervention pathways to disrupt intergenerational cycles of trauma and disadvantage.
Project Outcomes
he Parenting Support Program delivers life-changing outcomes by improving parenting capacity, strengthening parent-child attachment, and promoting family stability for highly vulnerable young families.
Key outcomes include:
Enhanced Parenting Confidence: Parents are supported to develop daily routines, implement positive behaviour guidance, and foster nurturing, emotionally safe environments. Pre- and post-program assessments consistently show improvements in confidence and skill application.
Strengthened Parent-Child Attachment: The use of the Child Wellbeing Observation Tool and the Peekaboo Program facilitates healing from trauma, supporting stronger emotional bonds critical for child development.
Improved Child Development: Children’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development is regularly assessed, ensuring early intervention where needed and supporting optimal growth during their formative years.
Increased Family Stability: Parents are linked to Early Childhood Services, Maternal and Child Health supports, and community playgroups, building the family’s long-term resilience and reducing reliance on crisis services.
Workforce Capacity Building: Through reflective practice and secondary consultation, 86% of frontline MCM staff now regularly integrate parenting and child wellbeing into their service delivery, embedding a systemic culture shift across MCM’s homelessness programs.
Evaluation is rigorous, using tools like the Maternal Postnatal Scale, Personal Wellbeing Index, and ongoing developmental assessments to measure impact. Early indicators show stronger family resilience, reduced engagement with Child Protection, and significant improvements in emotional wellbeing for both parents and children.
By investing in young families early, PSP is not just responding to homelessness – it is actively preventing its recurrence, ensuring that vulnerable children have the best possible start in life.
Budget Breakdown
TOTAL BUDGET: $236,985
FUNDING
| Funding source | Amount |
|---|---|
| Organisation In-kind | $1,500 |
| Organisation Cash | $5,485 |
| Private Philanthropy | $130,000 |
EXPENSES
| Expense item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Administration and overheads (supplies, postage etc) | $39,400 |
| Information technology | $1,728 |
| Marketing | $500 |
| Training/Professional Development | $3,000 |
| Salaries | $168,357 |
| Travel | $4,000 |
| Peekaboo program | $20,000 |
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