Displaying 1 - 10 of 24
Abstract
Background
There is an identified need to improve the evidence-base in relation to contact visits for children in the out-of-home-care (OOHC) system, to ensure optimal outcomes.
Objective
The aim of this cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to test the effectiveness of a contact intervention for parents having supervised contact with children in long-term OOHC.
Participants
183 study children in 15 clusters (OOHC services) and their parent(s) were randomized to the intervention (8 clusters, 100 children) and control groups (7 clusters, 83 children) in three…
Abstract
This article documents my experiences with the state’s contemporary removal of Aboriginal children in Western Australia (WA) and the practice of Aboriginal Family Led Decision Making (AFLDM), a family led decision making process supported as best practice for Aboriginal families. Unfortunately, this practice of AFLDM is not implemented in the state of Western Australia, but is adopted in Victoria, New South Wales, and more recently Queensland. AFLDM is supported by the peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in care — the Secretariat for National Aboriginal…
‘Children Safe, Family Together', the new family and kin care model outlined in this paper forms an integral part of the overall strategy being currently implemented by Territory Families (TF) to transform Out-of-Home Care in the Northern Territory (NT). The strategy addresses worrying trend data pointing to the significant over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the NT child protection system. The strategy also seeks to reinforce the voices of Aboriginal organisations and communities for the Out-of-Home Care sector (OOHC) in the NT to honour the…
As the keynote speaker at the Family Inclusion Network South East Queensland’s Global Day of Parents Forum on Tuesday, 4th June, sociologist David Tobis told the story of how parents worked with allies in New York City for over twenty years to bring about dramatic change to the child protection system. This article describes the keynote address and the story of the parents and allies who changed the child protection system in New York City.
To understand what is working well and not so well in out-of-home care, CREATE developed a survey based on the National Standards for Out-of-Home Care (National Standards). The National Standards were written by the Australian Government and include areas that are important to the wellbeing of all children and young people in care. These areas include things like participation, education, health, being connected to family and heaps more.
It’s been five years since CREATE did their first survey, so CREATE wanted to do a follow-up survey to see whether things are better, worse, or have…
Out-of-home care in Australia: children and young people’s views after 5 years of national standards
In 2013, CREATE used the National Standards for Out-of-Home Care (National Standards) to produce it its first comprehensive survey on the out-of-home care system. This survey analysed findings from 1069 children and young people with a care experience on their life in care into a report titled Experiencing Out-of-Home Care in Australia: The Views of Children and Young People. In 2015, the Government also did their own survey also using the National Standards to see what needed to be improved in child protection systems…
Positive Powerful Parents (PPP) is a self advocacy group in Australia run by and for parents with an intellectual disability. PPP are currently running the Hand In Hand project which seeks to educate government and the community about the needs of families where a parent has an intellectual disability.
The Hand In Hand Parent Meeting was held in Melbourne on the 19th of September 2018. This meeting aimed to capture the authentic voices of parents with intellectual disability about their experiences with the services and supports available to them to support their parenting. This…
ABSTRACT
Parents with intellectual disability are overrepresented in child protection matters due to a combination of socioeconomic disadvantage and assumptions of parenting incapacity by child welfare workers and courts. Inability to understand the investigation process or instruct a solicitor can deny these parents equal access to justice. Specialist support can ensure parents exercise their legal capacity to participate in proceedings and have their views heard. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with parents with intellectual disability (n = 10) who accessed…
It is widely agreed that there are too many children and young people in out of home care in Australia and that rates of restoration home are too low. It is also accepted that children have a right to be cared for by their families whenever this is safe and for their families to be supported to be the best families they can be. Even when children stay in care and cannot go home, it is vital for them to know and have relationships with their families, especially their parents and siblings. This Churchill Fellowship has explored family inclusion initiatives in the USA, Canada, Norway and the UK…
This was the third session at the Advocacy sector Conversations forum held at the Queen Victoria Women’s Centre on 18 May 2017. In this session, Barbara Carter and Kate Fitt discussed issues around child protection and provided some practical tips on how to support parents with disability in their dealings with child protection agencies.