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Pre-placement Planning: Examining Continuity and Connections

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 September 2014

Clare Tilbury  and
Jennifer Osmond
Clare Tilbury*
Affiliation:
School of Human Services and Social Work, Griffith University, Australia
Jennifer Osmond
Affiliation:
School of Human Services and Social Work, Griffith University, Australia
*
address for correspondence: Clare Tilbury, School of Human Services and Social Work, Griffith University, Australia, Q 4131. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

It is well recognised that children and young people in out-of-home care require stability and a sense of security. Focus has been given to the importance of stable placements with the same carers and maintaining or establishing positive relationships with significant others, such as parents and siblings. Undoubtedly, placement and family relationships are critical, but there are additional avenues for enhancing children's wellbeing when planning for continuity and connections. This paper reports on how continuity and connections for children in out-of-home care are dealt with in the placement planning process. Sixteen case managers were interviewed from a non-government placement service in two Australian states about pre-placement planning, connections, continuity and discontinuity. The findings suggest that continuity and connection planning should be a more elevated and explicit part of the process of pre-placement planning, as it has the potential to create a more seamless and coherent experience for children.

Keywords

placement planningmatchingstabilitycontinuityfoster care
Type
Articles
Information
Children Australia , Volume 39 , Issue 3 , September 2014 , pp. 161 - 168
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2014 

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