In late 2009, Australian Centre for Child Protection researchers surveyed staff from 107 specialist homelessness services operating across Australia.

Of these services:
• Almost half had fewer than five staff members
• The main client group of half of the services were women and women with children escaping domestic violence
• Many accommodated more children than adults

Suggestions made by staff to improve responses to homeless children included:
• Increasing staffing levels in homelessness services and increasing access to staff skilled in working with children
• Increasing housing availability and improving the appropriateness of housing for families
• Strengthening links between services and sectors to facilitate resource-pooling
• Improving homeless children’s access to specialist services such as speech therapy, dentistry and counselling
• Creating more opportunities for recreational and group activities