Displaying 1 - 6 of 6
"Thousands more children are likely to be placed in out-of-home care due to the coronavirus pandemic, but advocates for minors say it is a human tragedy that could be avoided," says this article from The Age. "If families don’t get the right support, 'the blunt instrument of removing children from families will be used, which will in fact make things worse in the long term,'" said Berry Street chief executive Michael Perusco.
A new report from Change the Record "highlights numerous ways Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been disproportionately affected by the more punitive and restrictive policy responses to the pandemic [in Australia]," including Indigenous children in out-of-home care, according to this article from the Conversation.
According to the article, "First Nations parents have had access to their children in out-of-home care restricted, causing 'distress and anxiety in a time of heightened stress for everyone,'” among other findings.
"Aboriginal people [in Australia] in prisons are going without soap, and children in out-of-home care are being refused contact with their families under “punitive” restrictions enforced due to Covid-19," says this article from the Guardian. A new report from Change the Record, an Aboriginal-led justice coalition including Amnesty International, the Law Council of Australia, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (Natsils) and National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (Naccho), "highlights the 'distress and anxiety' about Covid-19…
In this post from UNICEF Australia's blog, UNICEF Australia Program Manager for Early Childhood Development, Alice Hall describes some of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children, including the child protection implications. "Closures to schools also puts children at risk of greater exposure to violence and sexual abuse. With most families staying at home, children have less, and in many cases no, access to outside contacts," says the blog post.
"UNICEF is working to improve access to child protection support for children, including supplying social workers with…
"A new study predicts that demand for foster care is likely to rise during the coronavirus pandemic, as households struggle with the economic impacts of bans and restrictions," says this article from SBS News. The article features Australian foster carers Samar and her husband Mouhamed who are caring for children during the crisis. It describes some of the impacts of the pandemic and its response on children in foster care, as well as the increased need for foster carers in light of the pandemic.
"As Australians grapple with the sudden and challenging changes that COVID-19 has brought to their daily lives, the impact of the virus is being felt in extreme ways by vulnerable children and families," says Melissa Kaltner in this piece for the Conversation. "New research led by myself and EY partner Mark Galvin suggests we have a unique opportunity to support at-risk children who require care in the months ahead."