Funding announcement to continue MCM’s Amplify Program marks a vital step for young people fleeing family violence

Too often and for too long, young people escaping family violence without a protective parent have been left in an impossible gap, unseen by systems not designed for them and too often pushed toward homelessness or unsafe alternatives.

Today’s funding announcement by the Victorian and Federal Government of $180 million dollars to support victim survivors of family, domestic and sexual violence in Victoria will enable MCM’s Amplify program to continue. The funding marks a critical shift, recognising both the scale of this gap and the need for dedicated, youth-specific responses.

MCM welcomes the funding announcement as a meaningful investment in children and young people who have for too often and for too long, fallen through the cracks.

The Amplify Program will continue to support young people aged 15–19 with specialist family violence assistance to keep them safe, connected to education, provide access to legal protection and connected with funding and support that was previously out of reach to help rebuild their lives.

Amplify was developed in response to what young people told us they needed: specialist family violence support that recognises their experience, their age and their independence. This funding ensures we can strengthen and sustain a model that is already reducing risk and stabilising lives.

“Strong partnerships between government, community organisations and young people with lived experience are what makes this possible. When we listen to young people and design responses alongside them, outcomes improve,” said MCM Acting CEO Sean Spencer.

“This program (Amplify) is working. It is reducing risk. It is stabilising housing. It is reconnecting young people to education and home. But most powerfully of all, young people tell us this is the first time they have felt listened to – the first time someone named the violence and validated their experiences. And that matters. Because when you name violence, you break its power,” said MCM’s Head of Policy, Advocacy and Government Relations Shorna Moore.

We thank the ministers and everyone who has been part of the journey to have children and young people recognised as victim-survivors. And a special thanks to the incredible victim-survivor advocates who have shared their wisdom and expertise to help us shape Amplify into a program that’s centered on lived experience.

There is more work to do to ensure every child and young person across Victoria has access to support like Amplify. But today is an important step toward a more equitable and responsive system.

Read more about Amplify