This paper reviews the findings of the South Australian longitudinal study and the extent to which findings are borne out in subsequent national and international research. Included in this paper is an analysis of several issues in out-of-home care, including the disparity between child and carer numbers, the nature and effects of placement instability, the complexity of child behaviour and family contact. Using some recent findings of the ongoing National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW) study in the United States, the paper shows how many of the South Australian findings have been also borne out in other studies with larger sample sizes and more sophisticated measures. These comparisons suggest that the out-of-home care experiences of children living in both countries may share many similarities. Findings obtained in either country may be more easily translated to inform policy and practice internationally than has been previously thought.

As governments increasingly search globally for strategies to improve child welfare outcomes, it is vital to consider how policies and programs developed in other countries are likely to suit local conditions. Routinely collected child welfare administrative data can provide contextual information for cross-national comparisons. This article examines out-of-home care in Australia compared to other developed countries, and explores possible explanations for differences in patterns and trends. In doing so, it also examines the similarities and differences between NSW, Victoria and Queensland. It is argued that a sound understanding of how out-of-home care is used, the profile of children in care and the influences on data can assist policy makers to match proposed solutions to clearly understood current problems. The imperative is to plan and implement policies and programs that locate out-of-home care within a range of child welfare services that meet the diverse needs of children and families within local contexts.

This paper presents findings from a recent research project that provided an opportunity for the voices of a special group of young people to be heard. The biological children of foster families have rarely been the focus of foster care research. Their stories are used in this study to highlight individual experiences and, ultimately, to inform the practice of offering support to foster families.

Twenty-two young people between the ages of nine and thirty-two were interviewed. Their stories told of life in a confusing and contradictory world of foster care. This paper presents, through the words of the young people, four essential themes that highlight these contradictions. These are: sharing and losing; being responsible and escaping; caring and resenting; shouting and keeping quiet. Recommendations are made to improve training and support to foster families.

Across the developed world, efforts are being made to identify and develop effective interventions that will reduce the prevalence and severity of mental health problems among children and young people in out-of-home care. Foster and kinship carers have been identified as critically important in this process. In order to develop an understanding of what interventions and/or supports assist carers in responding effectively to the mental health needs of the children and young people in their care, a scoping review was undertaken. Using the scoping study method, 1064 publications were identified, and 82 publications were selected for further analysis. The review shows that promising interventions that aim to improve the mental health of children and young people living in out-of-home care have been developed and trialled both in Australia and internationally. However, the review also highlights the lack of research specifically focused on the role of the carer.

All Australian statutory child welfare agencies collect and report data on children under their supervision, but it is not always clear from this data how many children are actually placed in out-of-home care. This paper reports on a survey of the eight state and territory statutory agencies which focused on comparative placement rates, the usage of the two major types of out-of-home care, and placement patterns for Aboriginal/TSI children. Comparisons are drawn with the USA and a number of European countries.

Young people leaving state out-of-home care are among the most disadvantaged and vulnerable young Australians, and a substantial proportion experience mental health issues. This article reviews the literature relating to the mental health of care leavers, highlighting the gaps in the current Australian research base. Available studies indicate that mental health issues may worsen during the transition from care, yet mental and emotional health may also be neglected during this stressful period. Furthermore, care leavers with mental health issues are highly vulnerable to poor post-care outcomes, particularly homelessness. Implications for policy and research are discussed.

The involvement of the State In the lives of children, young people and their families has taken a new turn in New Zealand since 1989. Now when a child or young person is in need of care or protection or had offended, matters are resolved with their participation and with the participation of their family. At the heart of the new system is the Family Group Conference which is a new forum for consensus decision-making and which is potentially adaptable to different cultural practices. Institutionalisation of the young has been drastically reduced. Families remain a part of the lives of their children. However practice problems remain, goals of cultural appropriateness have not always been achieved and services have not always been made available to enhance the wellbeing of children and young people or to strengthen their families.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) includes provisions to ensure that children and young people have a say in decisions affecting their lives. Although a signatory to the UNCRC, Ghana is a nation where little empirical evidence has been gathered regarding the barriers that prevent children from participating in child protection. Thus, in this article, we report on findings from a qualitative study into the barriers to children's participation in child protection practice in Ghana. The study was based on qualitative interviews with 15 child protection practitioners, and a constructivist grounded theory approach was used to analyse data from the interviews. Intimidation, parental influence, communication problems, and confidentiality were identified as barriers to promoting participatory practices for children in the child protection process. The study findings suggest that engaging with children in separate rooms or spaces, away from the presence of parents and other adults, could help practitioners promote children's participation. It is recommended that practitioners should upgrade their skills for working with children by taking part in in-service training, workshops, and seminars to help address issues with communication. Practical actions suggested in this study may also be useful for other practitioners addressing similar issues.

This is the first of a two-part discussion of the place of residential care services in Australia, which highlights the issues that are likely to influence the development of these services into the future. This paper explores service trends over the past few decades, the current place and focus of residential care services, the nature of the young people being placed into such services, and the imperative for developing a more needs-based approach to service delivery. It concludes with a review of recent calls for the development of therapeutic or treatment-orientated models and the initial steps in this direction that have been taken around the country.

Thousands of Australian children are sexually abused every year, and the effects can be severe and long lasting. Not only is child sexual abuse a public health problem, but the acts inflicted are criminal offences. Child sexual abuse usually occurs in private, typically involving relationships featuring a massive imbalance in power and an abuse of that power. Those who inflict child sexual abuse seek to keep it secret, whether by threats or more subtle persuasion. As a method of responding to this phenomenon and in an effort to uncover cases of sexual abuse that otherwise would not come to light, governments in Australian States and Territories have enacted legislation requiring designated persons to report suspected child sexual abuse. With Western Australia’s new legislation having commenced on 1 January 2009, every Australian State and Territory government has now passed these laws, so that there is now, for the first time, an almost harmonious legislative approach across Australia to the reporting of child sexual abuse. Yet there remain differences in the State and Territory laws regarding who has to make reports, which cases of sexual abuse are required to be reported, and whether suspected future abuse must be reported. These differences indicate that further refinement of the laws is required.

Background: This research examined the impact of a programme integrating therapeutic music and group discussions (Holyoake's DRUMBEAT programme) on disadvantaged adolescents’ mental wellbeing, psychological distress, post-traumatic stress symptoms and antisocial behaviour. Method: Students displaying antisocial behaviours in grades eight to ten at three socio-economically disadvantaged secondary schools in Perth, Western Australia were invited to participate in a 10-week DRUMBEAT programme (incorporating drumming with djembes, therapeutic discussions and a final performance). Eight DRUMBEAT programmes were held in 2014. Pre- and post-intervention questionnaires measured mental wellbeing (Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale), psychological distress (Kessler-5), post-traumatic stress symptoms (Abbreviated Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist- Civilian Version) and antisocial behaviours (Adapted Self-Reported Delinquency Scale). Results: Of the 62 students completing DRUMBEAT, 41 completed pre- and post-questionnaires. Post-programme boys scored an average 7.6% higher mental wellbeing (WEMWBS) (p = .05), 19.3% lower post-traumatic stress symptoms (A PCL-C) (p = .05) and 23.9% lower antisocial behaviour (ARSDC) (p = .02). These changes were not evident for girls. No significant differences were detected for differences in psychological distress for either gender. Conclusion: This research highlights the potential of the DRUMBEAT programme as an effective, targeted strategy to reduce post-traumatic stress symptoms and antisocial behaviour and increase mental wellbeing in socio-economically disadvantaged adolescent boys.

This paper is a narrative review examining the high prevalence of care leaver early parenting in the context of (i) key transitions from care studies taken from the last few decades, (ii) a structured review using Scopus of studies from 2015–2020 focussed specifically on young people transitioning from care and early parenting and (iii) Boss’s (2010) Ambiguous Loss theory. Young care leavers’ challenges, in general, put them at higher risk of protective interventions with their children and may contribute to the growing numbers of children being placed in increasingly over-stretched out-of-home care systems. Questions of surveillance bias for service-connected young people are examined in light of recent large-scale studies using administrative data sets. Serious oversights in responding to young people’s experiences of trauma and exploitation are identified. The relevance of sexual health programs for young people actively seeking pregnancies is discussed with emerging evidence that disengagement from schooling may have more of a role in explaining early pregnancy and parenting than previously thought. The authors test the relevance of Ambiguous Loss theory in understanding how removal from families of origin and placement experiences may affect young people and lead to ‘wanted’ pregnancies.

Permanency, stability and continuity are essential components of quality out-of-home care. Permanency planning is a case planning process designed to promote stability and long-term connections for children subject to child protection intervention. This paper outlines findings from a small qualitative study that explored perceptions of permanency planning held by child protection practitioners, carers, and the parents of children in care in Queensland, Australia. Findings show that each group emphasised different aspects of permanency. Practitioners tended to focus on placement arrangements, carers focused on relationships and security, and parents were concerned about the quality of care their children received. Everyone involved in permanency decisions – whether children and young people, parents, carers or child protection practitioners – has ideas, theories and knowledge that they draw upon in expressing their views. Understanding these perspectives is useful for the decision-making process, as each stakeholder communicates with others about what they think is most important for the child. Implications for child protection practice include having a clear practice language and approach to permanency planning, exploring the unique areas of importance to different stakeholders on permanency planning, and ensuring quality participatory practice.

Historically, insufficient resources and assistance have been provided to young people leaving state care. Young people leaving care have been found to experience homelessness, unemployment, early parenthood, loneliness, depression, poverty, and involvement with the juvenile justice system.

In recent years, a growing body of research literature has explored the experiences of young people leaving care, and the identification of key factors underlying good after care support practice. Attention is drawn to some of the key findings of this research such as the need for a more gradual and flexible process of transition to independence, specific legislation providing for the ongoing support of care leavers, and the provision of formal and properly resourced after-care services. Reference is also made to the key role played by consumer advocacy groups in facilitating the successful transition to independence of care leavers.

This paper is based on a keynote address given at the first Australian Family Preservation Conference in Ballarat in November 1992 and addresses questions which need to be considered when transplanting programs from one service system context to another. A number of Australian States are in the process of introducing Intensive Family Preservation Services following the widespread adoption of such programs in the United States. These short term, intensive, home based therapeutic programs serve families whose children are at imminent risk of removal or who are being reunited with their family after being in out of home care. This paper argues that while such programs have the potential to provide more effective interventions with such families, placement avoidance on its own is an inappropriate outcome measure. Moreover, if the introduction of such programs is done by redirecting resources from other services, counterproductive effects may occur.

Many child welfare statutes protect children when caregivers jeopardise their safety and best interests, but what if the risk is sourced in government child welfare policy or practice? Instead of including provisions to hold governments accountable for placing children in harm's way, governments and their agents are largely protected against any systemic maltreatment claims made against them. This paper describes a precedent-setting case before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal attempting to hold the Canadian federal government accountable for its systemic failure to ensure that First Nations children are protected from maltreatment linked to inequitable federal child welfare funding on reserves. The case is a rare example using an independent judicial mechanism with the authority to make binding orders against the government and enveloping the proceedings in a public education and engagement movement. Implications of the case for child rights in Canada and abroad are discussed.

When child protection caseworkers make first contact with the parents of a child (or children) who is suspected of being at ‘significant risk of harm’ they may encounter a range of hostile, angry and aggressive verbal responses from parents. If this contact results in a child being removed from parental care, it is not unknown for these responses to escalate into attempts at verbal intimidation and loud threats of personal violence. These behaviours then get recorded in case files and in materials submitted to the Children's Court to support the case for permanent removal of a child from parental care; these behaviours being presented as evidence of the parents’ unsuitability and unwillingness to comply with demands for changes in their child rearing practices. But how should child protection caseworkers view these less-than-helpful parental responses, and how should they, in turn, respond? This article explores this issue and offers a number of ways of understanding these behaviours, and canvasses new ways for caseworkers to respond when these behaviours occur.

This Opinion Piece traces the rise of statutory kinship care in Australia from the progressive reduction of residential care and the struggle to recruit sufficient foster carers to meet demand for protective care. It outlines identified benefits of kinship care for children and flags concern about the early stage of development of kinship care policy, programs and data systems. It is argued that there are significant risks for children's safety and well-being in failing to assess carers thoroughly and to provide equitable case management and support (both financial and non-financial) to children in kinship care as in foster care.

This article discusses the outcomes of a research project undertaken in 2011/2013 by a team of researchers from Edith Cowan University (ECU) in collaboration with Wanslea Family Services. The project aimed to address the relative lack of voice of biological children in the fostering task, despite the increasing acknowledgement of children's rights and their capability to be involved in decision-making processes. Data was collected through the use of focus groups and interviews with a small number of biological children, foster carers and service providers in Western Australia (WA). The data indicated the necessity to reconsider the rights of biological children in the fostering task and the need for specific strategies to address these rights. The findings of the study informed the development of a set of interactive resources for supporting biological children of foster carers during all stages of the fostering process in Australia. The resources also have potential value for use in overseas jurisdictions.

Resilience is often associated with extreme trauma or overcoming extraordinary odds. This way of thinking about resilience leaves most of the ontogenetic picture a mystery. In the following review we put forth the Everyday Stress Resilience Hypothesis, in which resilience is analysed from a systems perspective and seen as a process of regulating everyday life stressors. Successful regulation accumulates into regulatory resilience, which emerges during early development from successful coping with the inherent stress in typical interactions. These quotidian stressful events lead to activation of behavioural and physiological systems. Stress that is effectively resolved in the short run and with reiteration over the long term increases children’s, as well as adults’, capacity to cope with more intense stressors. Infants, however, lack the regulatory capacities to take on this task by themselves. Therefore, through communicative and regulatory processes during infant–adult interactions, we demonstrate that the roots of regulatory resilience originate in infants’ relationships with their care givers and that maternal sensitivity can help or hinder the growth of resilience.