Annual Report 2020-21: Change, adapt and reimagine

Berry Street’s 2020-21 Annual Report is now available!

This year we’ve continued to change and adapt so that we can respond, as an essential service, to the ongoing global crisis.

COVID-19 not only shined a light on the existing inequalities in the communities we support – it exacerbated them.

Our resolve has never been stronger: we must reimagine the child and family services system and ensure that those we work alongside get the support they need at the right time.

This year’s report is a powerful testament to the critical difference that our work can make.

Some of our key achievements this year:

We launched our first Reconciliation Action Plan, endorsed by Reconciliation Australia at the end of 2020, with celebrations across each Berry Street region.
Our Y-Change team’s policy submission to the Victorian Youth Strategy called for a future where young Victorians with a lived experience of systemic oppression drive change.
We received the Rainbow Tick accreditation for our family violence services, which acknowledges that these programs are safe, inclusive and welcoming for LGBTIQA+ service users.
We became the first accredited agency in Australia to offer the Teaching Family Model (TFM) – an innovative-informed model of residential care for children and young people – with the program rolled out to 5 homes so far.
The Berry Street Education Model went global, with our team launching online courses for teachers in Europe and New Zealand, as well as around Australia.
We launched two new evidence-based early interventions programs: Multisystemic Therapy and SafeCare.