ABOUT US
We Started With One Child.
We Haven't Stopped
Since.
Change for Youth Foundation was founded in 2016 by Lisa Honeychurch – lawyer, advocate, and someone who had seen firsthand what happens when vulnerable children fall through the cracks.
It began with a pro bono Family Court case. Lisa represented a young boy in foster care and, through that experience, saw the instability, the emotional toll on carers, and the profound absence of consistent, relationship-based support for children navigating trauma. She couldn’t walk away from that.
FROM CAMPS TO A NATIONAL MODEL
Lisa established what was originally known as Keema Children’s Foundation, running camps and mentoring experiences for children in care. Before COVID-19, the Foundation had supported more than 100 young people, backed by over 130 volunteer mentors. These weren’t just programs — they were opportunities for children to simply experience joy, belonging, and trust.
When the pandemic made camps impossible, Lisa turned the pause into a pivot. She identified a critical gap: children in care were falling significantly behind at school, often disengaged from education, with needs that traditional tutoring simply couldn’t meet.
What these children needed wasn’t a tutor. They needed a trusted adult who understood trauma — one who could build safety before knowledge, and relationship before results.
In response, Lisa led the development of a specialised Training College for Learning Support Mentors, drawing on expertise from psychologists, child protection consultants, educational specialists, and First Nations cultural advisors. From this work, the Empower Youth Program was born.
In 2025, the Foundation was renamed Change for Youth Foundation — to better reflect the breadth of young people supported, from Prep through to Year 12, and to honour the significant advocacy work the Foundation had grown to undertake.
OUR ACHIEVEMENTS TOGETHER
Since the Foundation was established, every board member, staff member, volunteer and supporter has played a part in changing the lives of children and young people who have experienced abuse, neglect and trauma. Behind every dollar invested is a child whose future has been positively impacted.
182
children have received Learning & Wellbeing Support Scholarships through our Empower Youth Program (fully paid by Change for Youth Foundation)
600+
children have received trauma-informed Learning & Wellbeing Support and caught up to the Curriculum
32,082
hours of one-to-one Learning and Wellbeing support delivered
1,560+
children entering emergency care received a Cuddle Case, duffle bag or school bag
300+
children experienced camps and community activities that helped them feel joy and connect with others
182
children have received Learning & Wellbeing Support Scholarships through our Empower Youth Program (fully paid by Change for Youth Foundation)
600+
children have received trauma-informed Learning & Wellbeing Support and caught up to the Curriculum
32,082
hours of one-to-one Learning and Wellbeing support delivered
1,560+
children entering emergency care received a Cuddle Case, duffle bag or school bag
300+
children experienced camps and community activities that helped them feel joy and connect with others
A LASTING IMPACT
BEYOND THE NUMBERS
Our work has extended far beyond these achievements. We have supported foster and kinship carers, partnered with schools and child protection agencies, built innovative programs, trained volunteers and staff in trauma-informed practice, and become a respected voice advocating for systemic reform for children and young people in out-of-home care.
Most importantly, we have demonstrated that when children receive consistent, caring relationships and the right support, they can heal, reconnect with education and begin to believe in their future.
THE ACHIEVEMENT WE SHOULD
BE MOST PROUD OF
It is measured in the child who smiled again.
The young person who stayed at school.
The foster carer who felt supported.
The child who discovered they were capable of learning.
The teenager who began to believe they had a future.
Together, we have helped transform the lives of thousands of children and young people. And our Journey has only just begun.
