Fear of losing kids drives homeless parents to hide them

CHILDREN on the Gold Coast are the ‘unseen’ victims of homelessness, slipping through the nets designed to help them. Families forced to sleep rough are wary of intervention and can often shy away from community groups that are trying to help.

Tamsyn Hall, Wesley Mission’s co-ordinator of youth health and education services, said children were hidden by their homeless parents for fear of losing them to the system. “There is often a real fear from people living rough that they might lose their child, so they stay away from services,” she said.

According to the last census, 17,08 people were living rough on the Gold Coast in 2016, an increase of 27.5 per cent since 2011. The highest incidents of homelessness are in Southport, Broadbeach and Burleigh. “There are numerous families homeless on the Gold Coast, it isn’t always just single people,” said Ms Hall, who works with youth in crisis.

“Rental leases run out, they might have animals that makes it more difficult to find a home or women are experiencing domestic violence.

“It isn’t always as obvious as seeing people on a street. They can be tucked in abandoned house and cars. It is a very sad thing that children are being exposed to homelessness.” Rosies co-ordinator Kathleen Vlasic, who has been helping the city’s vulnerable for more than a decade, said the number of families in need of assistance had decreased.

“The number of families living in cars has decreased compared to 10 years ago,” Ms Vlasic said. “We also don’t see too many parents with children. “That is because child safety usually intervenes very quickly when there are children involved.” Ms Vlasic said she hoped the death of the nine-month-old on a Gold Coast beach did not add more stigma to those already marginalised by their situation. “It is a heartbreaking situation, but sadly, having said that, so many people are so quick to focus on the fact they were homeless.

“Being homeless doesn’t make you a bad person.

“I think we should understand the situation before we pass judgment.”