NSW homeless services turned away 589 children in a year, report finds

The NSW ombudsman said it was impossible to tell how many children under 12 were seeking help, which he described as ‘particularly concerning’. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP

At least 589 children who asked New South Wales specialist homelessness services for a place to sleep were turned away in a year, according to a new report that highlights the rising proportion of young Indigenous people who are homeless.

The NSW Ombudsman’s report on the uptake and effectiveness of homelessness services found between 2,300 and 2,600 children, aged between 12 and 15, sought help in each of the five years to July 2022.