Tandana Place, which was Victoria's only rehabilitation centre catering for teens under 16, closed last June after a decline in donations.

The shortfall was blamed on the economic downturn and donations going to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal instead.

The Department of Human Services provided Tandana with about $87,000 a year for referrals through correctional services but it refused to give an extra $100,000 needed to keep the centre open.

After extensive media coverage, a private donor pledged $100,000 to save the service.

The first half of the cash was donated in September and the second half was given earlier this month. Fuel company Supergas also increased its donation.

Program chief executive Maureen Buck, of Waverley Emergency Adolescent Care, said she was elated the centre had been revived but concerned about future funding.

"We've now started to get some more donations but we always worry about the long term of it. We always wanted the State Government to pick up the ongoing funding on a three-yearly basis."

Ms Buck has lobbied for funding since Tandana opened about a decade ago. She said the Government did not recognise that teens under 16 had nowhere else to go in Victoria.

The only other centre for young people addicted to drugs or alcohol is Birribi, an Eltham-based facility that caters for youths aged 16-20.

However, Ms Buck said young people were often entrenched in their habits by the age of 16.

"We need to get the preventative model going from an earlier age."

The State Government did not comment before the Journal's deadline.

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