Community and youth services

Young Mother and Baby Program

Our St John of God Horizon House Young Mother and Baby Program provides accommodation and support to vulnerable young mothers aged 16 to 22.

We help take your pregnancy to term and develop essential life skills as a new mother to transition into independent living.

Our program

We offer three stages of support which can each be accessed for a period of up to 12 months:

accommodation and intensive support during pregnancy and up to the baby's first birthday
transitional accommodation and support for young mothers with a child aged up to three years
outreach support for young mothers who have transitioned to living independently.

We can help you if you are:

homeless or at serious risk of homelessness
aged 16 to 22 years old
at least 12 weeks pregnant, confirmed by a general practitioner (GP)
do not require accommodation for any older siblings
willing to work towards receiving a wage or obtaining Centrelink payments
willing to contribute towards their share of rent and utilities – the cost of rent is means tested dependent on income to ensure affordability for all residents
willing to fully participate in daily activities as agreed in the individual support plan such as school, work (voluntary), courses and counselling
prepared to abide by the no smoking rule
no current issues with alcohol and/or substance misuse.

To make a referral, please complete and email the referral form to [email protected].

In addition to stable accommodation we can help with:

parent education - pre and post natal care, bonding, security and attachment
ensuring mother and baby's health and development
home skills such as cooking, cleaning and gardening
self-care and healthy lifestyle education such as budgeting, nutrition and stress-management
social connectedness and rebuilding relationships where possible to reduce isolation
providing access to education, training and employment
accessing ongoing community support while you transition to long-term, independent accommodation.

We have two stage one programs in Australia that provide accommodation and intensive support during pregnancy and up to the baby's first birthday.

Bendat House in Perth was the first of our Young Mother and Baby Programs and is located in the inner northern suburbs.

In Victoria we have a house located in the Greater Bendigo area.

For further information about our Young Mother and Baby Program Perth at Bendat House please contact the Support Co-ordinator on:

For further information about our Young Mother and Baby Program in Bendigo please contact the Support Co-ordinator on:

Horizon House does not provide short-term, crisis accommodation.

If you are in Perth and require crisis services, contact Entrypoint Perth between 9am and 7pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm on Saturdays.

For 24-hour support contact Crisis Care;

If you are in Bendigo and require crisis services, contact Opening Doors 24-hour statewide toll free number;