YACSA

04/09/2026

YACSA supports the Guardian for Children and Young People's recommendations to improve Supported Independent Living Services for young people leaving care.

Extending care and transition support to at least 21 years would bring South Australia in line with nearly every other Australian jurisdiction, and ensure more young people are leaving care with certainty and confidence about their futures.

03/09/2026

A new national report confirms what a lot of young South Australians are already living through: it's harder than ever to get ahead.

Anglicare Australia's Falling Behind report found that:

🏠 home ownership among younger cohorts has dropped to its lowest level in around 80 years

🔑not one of the almost 49,000 rental listings surveyed nationally was affordable for someone on Youth Allowance

📉 young people are on track to be the first generation to end up financially worse off than their parents

🧠 young people are consistently reporting highest psychological distress of any age group, and more than double that of people over 65.

The report calls for higher youth income support, more accessible social housing, and tax settings that reflect how young people actually earn and live now.

These findings reinforce why youth housing and homelessness remains a priority in YACSA's advocacy – and why solutions need to address income support, housing supply and tax settings together, not in isolation.

🔗 Read the full report via Anglicare Australia:

Falling Behind examines the widening economic gap between generations and the growing challenges young Australians face in achieving financial security and building a stable future.

03/09/2026

Every young person deserves to be safe, respected and heard – especially when parliament is debating decisions about their own healthcare.

A Bill voted down in the Legislative Council yesterday sought to restrict access to puberty blockers and hormone therapy for young people, changing current standards of care.

Trans and gender diverse young people already experience worse mental health outcomes than their peers, and being talked about – rather than to – in a public debate like this takes a real toll.

We stand in solidarity with you, and the organisations and communities advocating for your safety, dignity and right to access appropriate care.

Trans and gender diverse young people deserve a genuine say in decisions that affect their own lives, and to be treated with basic respect while that conversation happens.

Qlife: 1800 184 527 or qlife.org.au

ID: Large black text across a gradient in the transgender pride flag colours (pink, blue and white) reads: ‘trans and gender diverse young people:’ with ‘we are with you’ below, in bold. There is a YACSA logo in the bottom right corner.

01/09/2026

Do you facilitate a youth advisory group in South Australia?

YACSA is mapping youth participation practice across the state — what's working, what's hard, and what needs to change.

If you run or support a group that gives young people a role in decision-making, we want to hear from you: the barriers you face, the work you do, and what genuine participation actually takes in practice.

Take the survey now: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PKXGTLG

ID: YACSA graphic with dark green header reading ‘Youth participation in SA – youth sector workers,’ cream background below. Text: ‘Do you facilitate a youth advisory group in SA? YACSA is mapping youth participation practice across South Australia – what's working, what's hard, and what needs to change. We want to hear from workers across the sector running groups that support young people to influence decision-making.’ Button: ‘Take the survey.’

31/08/2026

Most youth participation data comes from young people who are already engaged – those already on an advisory group or panel.

But that leaves a gap: what about the young people who've never been asked?

As part of YACSA's current mapping of youth participation practice across South Australia, we're specifically seeking responses from young people aged 12–25 who haven't previously taken part in any youth advisory group, workshop or consultation.

If you work with young people who fit this description, please help this reach them.

The survey takes about 10 minutes, and is anonymous: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9MDRH5F

ID: YACSA graphic, pale pink background. Text: ‘Never been asked what you think by a government or organisation before? That's exactly why we want to hear from you.’ Button: ‘Take the survey.’ Underneath: ‘For young people aged 12–25 across South Australia.’

28/08/2026

YACSA is mapping how youth participation actually works across South Australia – what's working, what's not, and where the gaps are.

If you know a young person (12–25) who has taken part in a youth advisory group, workshop, panel or consultation anywhere in SA, please share this survey with them.

Their input will help to map the current state of youth participation practice across South Australia.

Take the survey now 👉 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9MYKYNP

It only takes about 10 minutes and is totally anonymous.

ID: YACSA graphic, dark green background. Text: ‘You've done the youth advisory groups, the workshops, the consultations. Now we want to hear what actually worked – and what didn't.’ Button: ‘Take the survey.’ Underneath: ‘For young people aged 12–25 across South Australia.’

27/08/2026

Today we’re celebrating Wear it Purple Day! 🌈

Feeling safe shouldn't be conditional. For LGBTQIA+SB young people, that means being able to walk into a classroom, a workplace, a service, or their own home and not have to brace for how they'll be treated.

📊Last year Minus18’s National Survey reported 86% of LGBTQIA+ young people feel safer, and more like they belong, when seeing someone wearing rainbow or ally accessories.

Wearing purple today is one small, visible way of saying LGBTQIA+SB young people deserve to feel safe everywhere, not just in the spaces built specifically for them.

The bigger work is making sure that's true every other day of the year too – in how services are designed, policy is written, and whether young LGBTQIA+SB people are consulted on what they need 💜

ID: A purple illustrated graphic for Wear It Purple Day 2026. Text reads ‘Wear It Purple Day 28.08.26’ and ‘Colours of Courage’ on a sign held up by two illustrated hands with painted nails. Design features a purple cockatoo in flight, monarch butterflies, flowers, a paint palette, and illustrated rainbow and transgender pride flags in the background. The Wear It Purple logo appears bottom left

27/08/2026

Are you a young person involved in a youth advisory group, committee or council – or do you work with a group that supports young people to have a say?

We’re exploring how young people are participating in decision-making across South Australia, and we want to hear from both young people and the youth sector workers supporting that participation.

We’re inviting people involved in these groups to share their experiences and insights through a short survey and/or interview.

📧 Email [email protected] with your group’s name, contact details and a brief description of your group and its work.

ID: at the bottom of a light pink tile is a photo of a group of young people sitting around a table with a laptop, smiling and talking. Above the photo is large green and black text, and a green YACSA logo in the top right corner.

24/08/2026

Know a young South Australian who should be representing Australia's young people on the world stage?

UN Youth Australia is recruiting the next Australian Youth Representative to the UN – leading the country's largest face-to-face consultation with young people, then taking what they hear to the UN General Assembly.

It's a big platform, and a direct line into how Australia shows up for young people internationally.

📝 You'll need a resume and a letter expressing your interest.

🗓️ Applications close 13 September 2026.

🔗 For more info and to apply: unyouth.org.au/become-australias-next-youth-representative

UN Youth Australia

ID: A promotional flyer on a purple background with the UN and city skyline imagery, headlined ‘Want to be the next Youth Representative to the UN?’ Three photos show: a group of young people in conversation with an older man in a formal setting; a large group of young people posing together indoors for a selfie; and a young woman speaking at a podium labelled ‘Australia’ in a UN assembly hall.

21/08/2026

What would a democracy that reflects and involves young people actually look like? 💭

The answers we heard during this week’s Youth Democracy Lab ranged from practical fixes – like better civics education – to bigger structural questions about who gets a say and when.

Thank you again to Olivia Savvas MP, Benson Saulo and Isaac Kildare for grounding the discussion with your own experience of navigating democratic spaces – and to everyone who got stuck into the workshop, butchers paper and sticky notes in hand.

Thanks also to Helen Connolly for co-hosting, and to the Dem36 Board – especially Sarah Moulds and Matt Ryan – for making space for young people's ideas at the Democracy Innovation Festival.

Ideas like these are exactly why meaningful youth participation matters – thank you for bringing them into the room 💚

ID (1): Photographed from behind, workshop participants sit at tables during the Youth Democracy Lab session. Butchers paper, markers and workshop materials are visible on a nearby table.

ID (2): A four-panel collage titled ‘youth democracy lab’ on a dark green background. Top-left: Flinders University Pro Vice-Chancellor of Global Engagement, Benson Saulo, speaks while seated, gesturing with his hands. Top-right: a small group of young people sit together taking notes during the workshop. Bottom-left: Isaac Kildare speaks while seated, gesturing. Bottom-right: Member for Newland, Olivia Savvas MP, sits and smiles at the camera.