Principles of out-of-home care

Principles of out-of-home care

• Best interests of the child• Permanency as soon as possible• Maintaining cultural identity and connections

with family/community• Participation by the child in decision making• Supporting carers• Aboriginal placement principle

Shared Stories Shared Lives Slide 2

Care pathway

Report of child or young person at significant risk of harm

Community Services, Department of Human Services NSW

The courtsChildren’s Court

Supreme Court (adoptions only)

The agency who places the child with a carer



Case plans* Record of action necessary to meet a child’s needs

* Identifies• decisions• people’s roles• agreed tasks• responsibilities

* Provides guidance for the foster carer

Case plans are monitored, reviewed regularly and changed when necessary.

Factors that inhibit the development of positive attachments

• Parents who are not emotionally available for infants and young children

• Children or young people who have experienced repeated rejections by parents

or caregivers

• Children or young people who have experienced extreme inconsistencies in the care that has been provided


Common behaviours of children and young people with attachment problems

• Comforting behaviour• Inappropriate emotional responses• Odd eating patterns• Aggression• Persistent fear state• Disorder of memory• Avoidance of intimacy


Helping children and young people with attachment problems• Nurture them• Try to understand the behaviour before punishment or consequences• Parent them based on emotional age• Don’t attempt physical contact if an adolescent is distressed• Be consistent, predictable and repetitive• Model and teach appropriate social behaviour• Listen and talk with them• Have realistic expectations of them• Be patient with their progress (and yours)• Take care of yourself

Shared Stories Shared LivesSlide 7

ANGERDespair

Relief

Guilt

Shock!Hopelessness

Sadness

ANXIETYDEPRESSION

HUMOUR

ResentmentLoneliness


Absent mindednessFatigue

Listlessness

Sleepproblems

Restlessness

Poor concentration

Social withdrawal

Appetiteproblems

Winds of behaviour


DisorganisedDisorganised

DisorientedDisoriented

Pre-occupiedPre-occupied

Beliefs:shouldoughtcould


UnclearUnclear

DisbelievingDisbelieving ConfusedConfused

Fog of thoughts


Disorganised Disoriented

Pre-occupied


UnclearDisbelieving

Absent mindedness

Listlessness

Sleep problems

Agitation

Restlessness

Poor concentration

Social withdrawal

Appetiteproblems

ANGER

DespairRelief

Guilt

Shock!

Hopelessness

Sadness

ANXIETY

DEPRESSION

HUMOUR

Resentment

Loneliness


Needs of grieving children

1. Reality

2. Empathy

3. Permission

4. Individuality

5. Time

6. Caring adult


Types of child abuse

• Physical abuse

• Sexual abuse

• Emotional abuse

• Witnessing domestic violence

• Systems abuse


Why does child abuse occur?

Family factors Parent factors

Community and cultural factors

Child or young person factors


Factors are often interrelated

Caring for a traumatised child or young person

• Don’t be afraid to talk about the trauma• Provide consistent and predictable caring• Be nurturing, comforting and affectionate, but be

sure it’s in an appropriate context• Discuss your expectations for behaviour and your

style of discipline with the child• Be sensitive and honest• Be tolerant of regressive behaviour• Give the child choices and a sense of control


Background to child sexual assault

Stages can include:• grooming• reinforcement of secrecy• disclosure• suppression.


Common circumstances of parents whose child is in care

• Social or external conditions

• Psychological or internal conditions

Often a number of factors are present and, when combined, make it difficult for parents to

adequately care for their children.


Contact• The process of assisting a child maintain link

with their birth families

• Varies in type (face-to-face, letters, emails, gifts etc), frequency and length depending on the circumstances

Contact is important for:• child or young person• birth parents and families• foster carers.


Managing challenging behaviours

Remember, our first reaction is frequently not our best reaction.

Take five and THINK before you RESPOND.


Allegations of abuse

• Allegations that are not substantiated

• Investigation of allegations


Confidentiality•Provide information on a “need to know” basis

•Ensure you have the child or young person’s permission before sharing information

•Respect a child or young person’s right to privacy

•Know that some secrets can’t be kept


About culture Everybody has a culture

Culture is not always visible to us or others

Culture affects our behaviour and the way we see and understand the world

Culture is complex

If we’re part of the dominant/mainstream culture, sometimes our culture and its impact can be masked or invisible to us

Carers need to understand both the obvious and not-so obvious aspects of a child’s culture


Maintaining culture

• Contact and exposure to other cultures• Learn about child’s culture• Place the child in schools with diverse children/teachers• Purchase book and toys that have a cultural dimension• Include cultural traditions and celebrations• Assist child to learn their birth language• Seek services and supports in the community• Involve religious leaders in life of the child• Recognise/support the role of birth parents and families


Why a child may resist connecting to their cultural heritage

• Wanting to belong and not stand out as different• Wanting to please carers• Not wanting to cause a fuss for carers• Ashamed of their cultural background• Feeling like they want to start a new life and have a

break from the past• Have not had a positive experience of their culture• Angry at birth parents and can’t separate them from

culture


Responding to a child’s resistance to connecting to their cultural heritage• Listen to them and explore why they feel that way• Keep the “door open” for them in case they change

their mind• Provide them with opportunities for positive

experience of their culture• Seek out positive role models from the child’s

cultural background


Responding to prejudice• Acknowledge it exists• Understand the impact• Discuss it openly with the child or young person• Help the child/young person understand it’s not their fault• Validate their feelings• Don’t tolerate any prejudiced remarks• Be aware of attitudes of friends and family• Teach child strategies for dealing with discrimination• Seek support and guidance from others• Obtain support• Encourage child to take pride in their appearance and identity


Sources of support and information for carers in cross-cultural placements

• Child or young person • Child’s caseworker and carer support caseworker• Birth parents and families• Migrant welfare services and ethnic community

associations and clubs• Religious organisations (churches, mosques, temples)• Services for children with refugee needs• Interpreters• Libraries and the internet


Life story work

• Keeping information safe• What does a life story look like? * it can take many different forms• Why do life story work? * builds a child’s identity and connections * provides carers an opportunity to understand• Life story and birth families


Principles of out-of-home care

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