Lucyna MacDermott, Lumac Group for AbsecTerry Donnelly, Absec

ABORIGINAL KINSHIP CARE

POSITIVE FUTURES2006 ACWA CONFERENCE,SYDNEY

This presentation is an introduction to the topic and issues of Aboriginal Kinship Care.

A more comprehensive position paper is being prepared by Absec.

THE FACE OF ABORIGINAL KINSHIP CARE

Aboriginal Kinship Care and contemporary child welfare system

Factions

Capacity

ABORIGINAL KINSHIP CARE

‘SOCIAL JUSTICE IS WHAT YOU FACE IN THE MORNING’

Payments and Entitlements•The State is moving towards kinship care as a preferred care option•Aboriginal people practice kinship care as a matter of course•Aboriginal children locked out of entitlements and services because they are in kinship care,

ABORIGINAL CARE AND ITS FIT IN CONTEMPORARY CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM

Definitions•Lack of clear statement about what is Aboriginal family and community care •Out of home does not always mean out of family – primary carers and who is your mob

Legal Issues•Aboriginal kinship care not explicitly defined, unlike eg s 13b NZ Act •Family Group Conferencing not mandated•Review of the Act provides a great opportunity to address current deficits

Supports •Supports need to reflect the reality of the Aboriginal family (size,mobility,fluidity)•Currently families left to ‘get on with it’-greater needs less suport – supports are erratic•Preventive orientation of kinship care, if supported, is a cost effective diversion from statutory child protection interventions •If suported would benefit the Aboriginal children but also the broader community

Permanency Planning •Kinship care can provide continuity – findings in NZ, Ireland, Scandinavian countries(’composite family’)•Adoption, as currently practiced, is an alien concept to Aboriginal people

ABORIGINAL KINSHIP CARE REQUIRES ITS OWN STRATEGY, STRUCTURE AND FUNDING

BUT How does the 110 kph speed limit apply to the bicycle……?

Bicycles and motor bikes have many elements in common:•2 wheels•Handlebars•A seat to ride on

THE SAME OR DIFFERENT…

Traditional Model New Model

Child centered/child Protection Family centered/family support/child outcome

Nuclear western family focus Extended family/mob and community

Emphasis on statutory involvement

Aboriginal NGO and/or statutory involvement dependent on the model adopted

No payment Entitlement to kinship carer payment/allowance

Cultural blindness Cultural competence and bi-cultural practice skills

Court-based adversarial Court-based mediation-ADR-FGC

No involvement by fathers Involve fathers and elders and wider community

Individual client meetings and assessments

Extended family meetings and assessments/FGC decision making

[i] Adapted from Jackson, S (1999) Paradigm Shift in Kinship Foster Care (Hegar, R and Scannapieco, M ) Oxford University Press. and Bob Broad Reclaiming our children:Kinssip care for Children in Need IASSW Montpelier Conference 30 July 2002 at http://www.aforts.com/colloques_ouvrages/colloques/actes/interventions/broad_bob.doc)

Reclaiming Our Children through Kinship Care[i]

Aboriginal Kinship Care

ServiceDelivery

Beyond Consultation to Negotiation

Bi-cultural CompetencySpecialist Practitioners

Decision making •Family Group Conferencing •Restorative Practices•Grannies Elders

Assessment and Practice Tools•Adapted Psychological Assessments•Genograms•Eco maps•Cultural Plans- Cultural Preservation

Adaptive Counselling eg:•Narrative Therapy•Spiritual Healing

Support Services

THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT ABORIGINAL CHILDREN IS TO STRENGHTEN AND RESOURCE THEIR COMMUNITIES

THE DOUBLE AIM OF CHILD PROTECTION AND FAMILY AND CULTURE PRESERVATION CAN BE RECONCILED

‘THE CHALLENGE FOR CHILD WELFARE SECTOR IS TO BRING THE RESOURCES OF THE ‘FORMAL/Statutory ’ SYSTEM TO SUPPORT,NOT REPLACE, THE ‘INFORMAL/CUSTOMARY’ CARE SYSTEM’

WORKER ROLE- KNOWLEDGE - SKILLS

WORKER

CHILD

BIRTHPARENTS

CARERS

EXTENDEDFAMILY

STATUTORY CARE

ABORIGINAL KINSHIP CARE

BIRTH PARENTS

WORKERFOSTER CARERS

CHILD

SYDNEY NOV 2005

MIMALI MATES 1998

VISITS TO COMMUNITIES 2005

20 GROUPS START UP

260 CARERSDATABASE

TAMWORTH JULY 2006

HAVE A HEART BECOME A CARER

Strategic directionsStructureReady to Be HeardConnecting our mob

Emerging picture of the Aboriginal carers daily realities

Emotions, anger, uncertaintySharing experiencesCall to action

Building relationships

Other milestones: Dubbo, Metropolitan,Tamworth

OUR PATHWAY SO FAR

History

ResourcesInformation/EducationPlacement Information

C.O.P.E CONNECTING OUR PEOPLE EVERYWHERE

ACN ABORIGINAL CARERS NETWORK

HISTORY IS WHAT WE ARE DOING TODAY

1. LIVE WITHOUT FEAR AND GUILT

2. CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF KINSHIP POLICY AND PRACTICE

3. INTEGRATE THE TWO STREAMS OF CARING

4. PAYMENTS AND SUPPORTS TO BE MADE CLEAR

5. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

CARERS AND CARER EPRESENTATIVES •DIFFERENT LOCALITIES •JOINT MEETINGS AND ACTIVITIES

REGIONAL GATHERINGS•ONCE PER YEAR IN EACH OF THE 4 REGIONS•TIMING: FEBRUARY, MAY, JULY/AUG,SEPTEMBER

STATE GATHERING • EARLY NOVEMBER•DIRECTIONS FOR THE NEXT YEAR•FEEDBACK LOOP FROM REGIONAL GATHERINGS

ABSEC

OUR MODEL : NETWORK OF NETWORKS

FUNDERS, POLICY MAKERS, HUMAN SERVICES SECTOR

ABSEC

SEEKING SERVICE

Mainstream way

Aboriginal way

Extended family and community Care, Elders/Grannies, Circles, the Dreaming, Life Cycle

Nuclear family, Clinical, Child Protection, Investigations, Statutory Care, Family Support

Client

Building Bridges and Choices

CARERS

Metro West

Moree

Miimali MatesEmerton

WollongongKempsey

Central Coast

La Perouse

Redfern

Tweed Heads

Consultant

Armidale

Wagga Wagga

Newcastle

Guyra

Wee Waa

Bourke

Bathurst

Orange

Broken Hill

ABSECTamworth

WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

WORKERS

ParkesMoruya

Kari Carers -Liverpool

Dubbo

Nowra

Condoblin

DOCS