History

In 1980, in response to a growing need for a youth shelter on the Sunshine Coast, the Maroochydore Area Youth Services (MAYS) was founded.

Operating from a small converted house in Beach Road, Maroochydore, the fledging staff of one Co-ordinator and two Youth Workers managed a small, 5 bed emergency shelter that provided basic accommodation and youth related information and support to homeless, young people aged between 15-25 years.

Constantly morphing and evolving over the ensuing years, the organisation recognised that its future lay in being able to provide a far broader range of services to its community than those provided in its original charter. Within this context the organisation re-evaluated its mission and goals, pragmatically embracing a broader mission statement more inclusive of families and those experiencing disabilities.

In 2002, to better reflect this broader mission statement, the organisation changed its name to that which it has today - the Integrated Family and Youth Service (IFYS).

IFYS has now been servicing south-east and central Queensland communities for over 28 years and during this time has instigated the development of a wide range of responses to the needs of children, young people and families.

At its heart IFYS still delivers accommodation services to homeless and destitute young people but, in addition to such, also provides counselling and mediation services; disability support; health, employment, education, family and parenting programs; foster care and alternate learning options.

With services now stretching from North Brisbane to Mackay, IFYS employs over 200 permanent and casual staff and is one of Queensland’s largest non-church providers of beds to young people, with 140 beds available throughout the region every night.

Philosophically, the organisation believes it has a responsibility to: