27/10/2026
Community Legal Centres Queensland is calling on the Crisafulli Government to review its decision to defund the Youth Advocacy Centre's (YAC) Bail Support Program.
Late last week, the Queensland Government announced its new Risk Response Bail program– with YAC not included in the list of providers.
YAC is a Brisbane based community legal centre that provides specialist legal and social support services to children and young people.
The Bail Support Service works with young people aged 10 to 17 and supports them to stay out of custody and reduce reoffending. The service helps young people comply with court requirements while addressing practical issues including education, employment, housing, transport, life skills and connections with other community support.
CLCQ Director Rosslyn Monro said: “We are extremely concerned with the announcement by the Government to withdraw vital funding for the Bail Support Program from YAC.
“We are urging the Government to review its decision as it will have a devastating impact on the young people that YAC has been supporting.”
CLCQ believes investment in bail support must recognise the value of trusted, specialist services with established relationships with young people, families, courts and the broader youth justice system.
“For 20 years, YAC has developed experience and expertise in providing this support to Queensland children and young people. Losing that capacity is deeply concerning," Ms Monro said.
“At a time when youth justice and community safety are such significant issues for Queensland, we should be strengthening specialist services that work directly with young people, not weakening them.
“Queensland cannot afford to lose specialist youth services and decades of experience at a time when their work is so important.”
