Home Stretch Awards

Congratulations to the 2025 Home Stretch Award finalists

In recognition of your contribution to services for care leavers:

CREATE Home Stretch Youth Advocacy Award

Caleb Seidel
Emily Taylor
Extended Post Care Support Group
Gemma McGann
Hayley Prasad
Jordan Parkes
Kathleen Martawan – WINNER
Korrinne Kylie Muntelwit
Lara Vincent
Ruby Elizabeth Sait
Shaini Brown
Tequeah Iglesias
Youth Expert Advisory Group

Home Stretch Individual Award

Amy Pagano
Professor Philip Mendes – WINNER
Sandra Loprete
Tayla Gilmour

Home Stretch Organisation Award

AnglicareSA
Bendigo Real Estate
Department for Child Protection (SA)
Department for Education, Children and Young People (Tasmania)
Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions (Victoria)
Endeavour Foundation Ltd
Foster Care Angels Inc
Junction Support Services
Kentish Community Services Ltd
Ray White Bendigo
Uniting NSW.ACT
VACCA and Kids Under Cover
VincentCare Victoria
Yorganop Association Incorporated – WINNER

What are the Home Stretch Awards?

When young people leave the care system, they often face significant challenges, such as finding stable housing, securing employment, accessing education, and maintaining good health and well-being. The Home Stretch Awards have been established to acknowledge care leavers, businesses, agencies and non-child protection government departments that have gone above and beyond to support care leavers in their transition to adulthood.

Who can be nominated?

The intention behind the Home Stretch Awards is to recognise programs and initiatives that support care leavers. Education institutions, businesses, non-child protection government departments, individuals and corporations because everyone has a role to play in ensuring care leavers have the supports they need.

The nominee extends beyond basic legal responsibilities, embracing a moral and social commitment to enrich and empower the lives of care leavers.

What are the criteria for nominations?

The criteria are simple, nominate a business, a department, an institution or an organisation that has:

  • developed a positive targeted policy to assist care leavers,
  • has gone above and beyond business as usual for care leavers, and
  • has initiated a specific and unique program for care leavers.