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Clinics & services

Children and young people support services

The following external organisations offer support services for children and young people with a parent or carer who has a mental illness.

The Satellite Foundation (Satellite)

Satellite is a not-for-profit supporting children and young people aged 8 - 25 who have family living with mental health challenges. Offering age-appropriate, non-clinical, creative outlets in the form of free programs, camps, workshops and ongoing social connection activities. As well as leadership, learning and development opportunities.

Phone: 1800 973 444

Little Dreamers Australia

Little Dreamers supports young people aged 4 to 25 who provide care for a family member affected by disability, chronic or mental illness, addiction or frail age. Offering 1:1, group, online and in-person support such as tutoring, peer support, personal development and school holiday programs.

Phone: 1800 717 515

Holstep Health

Holstep Health provides support for young carers to manage in their caring role through Carer Gateway. 

A young carer can be anyone aged 25 or under who cares for another person. If you help take care of someone in your household or a friend who has a disability, chronic or mental illness, who is frail aged, or has an alcohol or drug problem, you may be a young carer. Services are tailored to your individual needs, which may include educational and emotional support, as well as the opportunity to meet other young carers and engage in a variety of programs, events and activities.

West Heidelberg, Greensborough

Phone: 03 9450 2000 

All other locations

Phone: 1300 637 744 

Kookaburra Kids Foundation

Kookaburra Kids provides evidence based, age appropriate, prevention and early intervention mental health education programs to young people aged 8 to 18 years who are living in a family impacted by mental illness.

Defence Kids is a special program of the Kookaburra Kids Foundation, dedicated to supporting the unique needs of children from serving and ex-serving ADF families, providing camps, activity days and age-appropriate mental health education focusing on coping skills and resilience, while allowing children to bond with peers who are facing similar challenges.

Phone: 1300 566 525

Young Carers Network

The Young Carers Network is for those up to the age of 25 to connect with others and access resources and links specific to young carers. Students can also apply for the Young Carer Bursary between late July and early September each year to help continue education.  

Young Carer Bursary supports young carers to continue with their education and reduce their need to undertake paid work at the same time as their study and caring duties. In 2025, they were able to increase the number of bursaries to 2,968 and the amount to $4,000 each.

Phone: 1800 756 238 

Emerging Minds

Children of Parents with a Mental Illness (COPMI) is a program of Emerging Minds.

Emerging Minds develops mental health policy, interventions, in-person and online training, programs and resources in response to the needs of professionals, children and their families. They partner with family members, national and international organisations to implement evidence-based practice into the Australian context. Their resources are freely available on their website.

Kids Helpline

Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free (even from a mobile), confidential 24/7 online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25. Qualified counsellors at Kids Helpline are available anytime and for any reason.

Phone: 1800 55 1800