Arabic version: مركز قانوني للشباب في كوينزلاند يفقد تمويل دعم الكفالة

According to The Guardian, the Youth Advocacy Centre (YAC) has lost all funding for its Brisbane bail support service, a $3m reduction representing half of its annual budget. The 45-year-old community legal centre supports children in legal trouble and helps social workers divert young people away from jail.

YAC chief executive Katherine Hayes said the organisation learned last week that the service would no longer be funded. She said the centre had received state funding for the scheme for 20 years and had always met its key performance indicators. The $3m allocation will instead go to Anglicare.

Hayes said a recent state government evaluation found the bail support scheme, which assists children to avoid breaching bail, was among the most effective currently funded interventions. She said YAC had high referral numbers from the Department of Youth Justice and was highly regarded by courts. About 1,264 children are on bail in Queensland on any given day, while YAC was responsible for roughly 350 children in the Brisbane council area.

Laura Gerber, the minister for youth justice and victim support, said the program was not renewed because it was not delivering on the Crisafulli government’s key performance indicators to prevent offending while on bail, with reoffending remaining above 60%. Hayes said YAC had not been given an explanation and was concerned the decision could be linked to its public advocacy. The cut has forced the centre to lay off 19 staff.

The Greens and Labor condemned the decision as retaliation. Greens MP Michael Berkman described it as vindictive, while opposition leader Steven Miles said removing funding would silence an advocacy service critical of government policy. Parliament is set to debate and pass the government’s latest youth justice legislation this week.