Young people transitioning from out-of-home care (known as care leavers) are, globally, a vulnerable group, and many experience housing instability and homelessness. In 2021, the State of Victoria extended out-of-home-care supports from 18 to 21 years, including introduction of a housing allowance for all care leavers. Yet, many of this cohort – particularly those leaving residential group home care – still struggle to access safe and affordable housing. In response, the Bridge It charity established the co-designed Cocoon model in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda via philanthropic funding to provide a home and community to young women aged 16–21 years leaving residential care, as well as other young women and gender-diverse people who have experienced homelessness. This paper draws on three external and internal evaluation studies that used mixed methods to examine the impact of the Cocoon program, including interviews with current and former residents, interviews with current Cocoon workers and client outcome data. The findings indicate the effectiveness of the Cocoon model in enabling positive outcomes for the young women in key areas such as housing, education and employment, mental health, life skills, social and community relationships and family reunification. Keywords: care leavers, housing, residential care, social and community connections.
People who grew up alongside a sibling with disability are a significant yet under-researched population in Australia. These siblings often minimise or suppress their own needs to maintain family stability, a dynamic that may carry enduring consequences for attachment and mental health. This study explored the lived experiences of eight Australian typically developing (TD) adults who grew up alongside a sibling with neurodevelopmental disability (ND), using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) within a critical realist (CR) framework. That is, we explored how people make sense of their lived experiences, while also recognising that these experiences are shaped by deeper social and structural forces. This paper uncovered themes relating to Family Dynamics and Relational Impact and adoption of the needless child role by TD siblings. We discuss mechanisms related to external support that appear to moderate this effect. This paper explains this dynamic through the lens of attachment theory. We argue that the current findings support a family-systems approach to disability services, in which siblings are recognised as stakeholders and in need of targeted support. Keywords: attachment, critical realism, interpretative phenomenological analysis, neurodevelopmental disability, siblings.
