From the 1970s Berry Street ran a number of family group homes across Melbourne and in Gippsland. In 1975 Berry Street made the decision to shift their focus of child care from an institutional style to residential care of children in family group homes, which was reflected in their change of name from Berry Street Babies’ Home and Hospital to Berry Street – Child and Family Care. The exact opening and closing dates for many of these family group homes are not yet known.
Bill Fordyce of Berry Street wrote about the changes taking place in an article from September 1976, with the organisation’s new focus on ‘child and family care’:
With this change of thinking it has been necessary to change our buildings to fit in with these new plans. So, to provide a home environment rather than an institutional one, we have closed the nursery ward and the toddlers’ ward and replaced them with Family Group Homes in the suburbs. In each of these Homes we have up to six children in the care of house parents, with the children of an age range one would expend to find in a six child family. In this situation, the children can live as a normal family would. They attend the local school, can join scout or guide groups, attend their own church if they wish, join youth clubs and do the things that all today’s young people like to do. They become members of a family rather than belonging to an institution (Hops, Steps and Jumps, 1976.
From
1970
To
2000s
1973 - 1990?
Berry Street ran a family group home at 7 Jervis Street, Burwood, Victoria (Building Still standing)
1974 - 1990?
Berry Street ran a family group home at 104 Albion Road, Ashburton, Victoria (Building Still standing)
1977 - 2000s
Berry Street ran a family group home at 2 Murchison Street, East St Kilda, Victoria (Building Still standing)
1979 - 1995
Berry Street ran a family group home at 29 Redan Street, St Kilda, Victoria (Building Still standing)
1980 - 2000s
Berry Street ran a family group home at 737 Brunswick Street, North Fitzroy, Victoria (Building Still standing)
1981 - 1994
Berry Street ran a family group home at 51 Highbury Grove, Prahran, Victoria (Building Still standing)
1985 - 1990?
Berry Street ran a family group home called "Barcelona" at 31 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Victoria (Building Still standing)
1990? - 2000s
Berry Street ran a family group home and reception care centre at 33-35 Hazelwood Road, Traralgon, Victoria (Building Demolished)
1990s - 2000s
Berry Street ran a family group home at 23 Grant Street, Watsonia, Victoria (Building Still standing)
1990s - 2000s
Berry Street ran a family group home at 172 Kidds Road North Dandenong, Victoria (Building Still standing)
1990s - 2000s
Berry Street ran a family group home at 13 Purdy Avenue, Dandenong, Victoria (Building Demolished)
c. 1995 - 2000s
Berry Street ran a family group home at 33 Scott Street, Dandenong , Victoria (Building Still standing)