CoP members signed a Working Together Agreement which outlines the following key commitments that guide our collaborative efforts to support Aboriginal young people and care leavers.
Home Stretch WA embodies a shared vision that has been shaped by young people with lived experience of the care system and guided by the wisdom of Aboriginal Elders and Communities from across Western Australia.
The Home Stretch WA CoP is a network of service providers working together to deliver the Home Stretch WA model across Western Australia. The CoP focuses on improving outcomes for young people aged 17 ½ to 21 who are transitioning out of out-of-home care by providing the support and resources needed to thrive.
The CoP partners with the Department of Communities, child protection workers, practice experts, young people with lived experience, carers, families, and Aboriginal communities. Together, they share knowledge and practice resources to identify what works and continuously refine their approach to best support young people leaving care.
Funded by the Department of Communities in 2022, the CoP was initially facilitated by Anglicare WA in partnership with Yorganop, young people with lived experience and the Department of Communities as a collective impact initiative to establish and deliver Home Stretch WA services across the state.
Through active participation as ‘CoP members’ service providers worked together to strengthen the capacity of the Community Services Organisations (CSO’s) and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) to deliver the Home Stretch WA model with integrity and create a shared vision for the future.
The CoP backbone facilitation role, provided by Anglicare WA & Yorganop concluded in December 2024 however the CoP remains a united group of service providers committed to delivering and enhancing the Home Stretch WA model and supporting young people across WA.
For more information on Home Stretch WA head to the Home Stretch WA Statewide roll out page. To join a CoP working group contact homestretchwa@communities.wa.gov.au.
The CoP has been described as an ‘exemplar of good practice’ in system reform, and the impact of Home Stretch WA more broadly as ‘transformative for the system’ in Quantum’s Independent Formative Evaluation of the Home Stretch WA.
The Home Stretch WA – Community of Practice would like to Acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we use. We would like to pay our respects to our Elders past, present and emerging. We are privileged to be a part of the longest living culture in the world.
For additional information about Home Stretch WA contact homestretchwa@communities.wa.gov.au
