News and Youth Media Centre

Koorie Youth Council (KYC) Deputy CEO Leyla Quartermaine has known the power of the Aboriginal community since she was little. “I was raised by my grandmother, but also very much raised by the Victorian Aboriginal community,” says the proud Noongar woman. “I’m a pretty big example of it taking a…

Youth Support and Advocacy Service (YSAS), The Loop Australia and Harm Reduction Victoria, in partnership with the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Youth Projects and Metabolomics Australia (University of Melbourne) collectively welcome the announcement by the Victorian Government of the fixed site location for the Victorian Pill Testing Service at 95 Brunswick…

We are so proud to announce the launch of our 2023 YSAS Annual Report!

Inside, you’ll find real stories about young people, families and workers that showcase our remarkable impact over the last 25+ years.

Here’s just a taste of what you’ll learn about:

The broad range of multidisciplinary…

Youth Support + Advocacy Service (YSAS), Harm Reduction Victoria, The Loop Australia, Melbourne Health and Youth Projects are thrilled to work together, and alongside the Victorian Government, to deliver the state’s mobile and fixed-site pill testing trial.

The service will begin at Beyond the Valley Festival on 28 December 2024…

Drug checking is now legal in Victoria, meaning people will able to get their drugs checked for harmful substances and doses from this summer.

On Tuesday night, new laws passed state parliament making drug checking (often called pill testing) legal in Victoria. 

The new laws will enable 10…

We tend to think of carers as older people looking after children, elderly parents or a sick partner. But young people can become carers too.

Quinney Brownfield-Hanna began helping his single mum care for his six other siblings when he was 12. Quinney is the second eldest, and his older…

YSAS welcomes the passing of the Youth Justice Bill in the Victorian parliament’s upper house, bringing the state one step closer to raising the age of criminal responsibility to 12.

YSAS Acting CEO Dom Ennis said it was an important reform that will make Victoria a better place for some…

Youth Support Advocacy Service is disappointed that the Allan’s Government has renounced its decision to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14.

Last year, the Government committed to raising the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 by the end of this year, and to 14 by 2027.…