Lucyna MacDermott, Lumac Group for Absec Terry Donnelly, Absec

1. CHANGE YOUR LEAVES KEEP YOUR ROOTS INTACT ABORIGINAL KINSHIP CARE POSITIVE FUTURES 2006 ACWA CONFERENCE,SYDNEY Lucyna MacDermott, Lumac Group for Absec Terry Donnelly, Absec This presentation is an introduction to the topic and issues of Aboriginal Kinship Care. A more comprehensive position paper is being prepared by Absec.

2. THE FACEOF ABORIGINAL KINSHIP CARE

3. Aboriginal Kinship Care and contemporary child welfare system ABORIGINAL KINSHIP CARE Capacity Factions ‘SOCIAL JUSTICE IS WHAT YOU FACE IN THE MORNING’

4. 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 • 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, • 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 CARE AND ITS FIT IN CONTEMPORARY CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM

5. THE SAME OR DIFFERENT… • Bicycles and motor bikes have many elements in common: • 2 wheels • Handlebars • A seat to ride on ABORIGINAL KINSHIP CARE REQUIRES ITS OWN STRATEGY, STRUCTURE AND FUNDING BUTHow does the 110 kph speed limit apply to the bicycle……?

6. Reclaiming Our Children through Kinship Care[i] [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)

7. Aboriginal Kinship Care Service Delivery Bi-cultural Competency Specialist Practitioners • Decision making • Family Group Conferencing • Restorative Practices • Grannies Elders • Adaptive Counselling eg: • Narrative Therapy • Spiritual Healing • Assessment and Practice Tools • Adapted Psychological Assessments • Genograms • Eco maps • Cultural Plans- Cultural Preservation Support Services Beyond Consultation to Negotiation 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’

8. WORKER CHILD FOSTER CARERS BIRTH PARENTS CHILD WORKER CARERS BIRTH PARENTS EXTENDED FAMILY WORKER ROLE- KNOWLEDGE - SKILLS STATUTORY CARE ABORIGINAL KINSHIP CARE

9. OUR PATHWAY SO FAR Other milestones: Dubbo, Metropolitan,Tamworth Strategic directions Structure Ready to Be Heard Connecting our mob TAMWORTH JULY 2006 Emerging picture of the Aboriginal carers daily realities 260 CARERS DATABASE Emotions, anger, uncertainty Sharing experiences Call to action SYDNEY NOV 2005 Resources Information/Education Placement Information HAVE A HEART BECOME A CARER 20 GROUPS START UP Building relationships VISITS TO COMMUNITIES 2005 History MIMALI MATES 1998

10. ACN ABORIGINAL CARERS NETWORK C.O.P.E CONNECTING OUR PEOPLE EVERYWHERE • LIVE WITHOUT FEAR AND GUILT • CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF KINSHIP POLICY AND PRACTICE • INTEGRATE THE TWO STREAMS OF CARING • PAYMENTS AND SUPPORTS TO BE MADE CLEAR • BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES HISTORY IS WHAT WE ARE DOING TODAY

11. OUR MODEL : NETWORK OF NETWORKS FUNDERS, POLICY MAKERS, HUMAN SERVICES SECTOR ABSEC ABSEC • STATE GATHERING • EARLY NOVEMBER • DIRECTIONS FOR THE NEXT YEAR • FEEDBACK LOOP FROM REGIONAL GATHERINGS • REGIONAL GATHERINGS • ONCE PER YEAR IN EACH OF THE 4 REGIONS • TIMING: FEBRUARY, MAY, JULY/AUG,SEPTEMBER • CARERS AND CARER EPRESENTATIVES • DIFFERENT LOCALITIES • JOINT MEETINGS AND ACTIVITIES

12. Building Bridges and Choices Extended family and community Care, Elders/Grannies, Circles, the Dreaming, Life Cycle Aboriginal way SEEKING SERVICE Client Mainstream way Nuclear family, Clinical, Child Protection, Investigations, Statutory Care, Family Support

13. WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER Redfern Dubbo La Perouse Moree Nowra Bathurst Tweed Heads Metro West Orange Moruya Guyra Parkes DOCS CARERS WORKERS Miimali Mates Emerton Armidale Central Coast Broken Hill Wagga Wagga Wee Waa Kari Carers -Liverpool Bourke Condoblin Wollongong Kempsey Newcastle Tamworth ABSEC Consultant