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Using Past Practice to Inform Current Policy N. Wallace– Care Leavers Australia Network

Using Past Practice to Inform Current Policy N. Wallace– Care Leavers Australia Network . Care Leavers Australia Network (CLAN). Support Advocacy Research Training. CLAN has close to 1000 members

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Using Past Practice to Inform Current Policy N. Wallace– Care Leavers Australia Network

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  1. Using Past Practice to Inform Current PolicyN. Wallace– Care Leavers Australia Network

  2. Care Leavers Australia Network (CLAN) • Support • Advocacy • Research • Training • CLAN has close to 1000 members • CLAN was founded in 2000 by two Care Leavers Dr Joanna Penglase OAM and Leonie Sheedy OAM • CLAN’s oldest member is 94 years old. • CLAN’s youngest member is 19 years old.

  3. Why is preparation to leave care needed? • Childhood is the most pivotal stage of development: • Develop emotionally – attachment, bonding, trust • Learning – stages of development, schooling • Vulnerability - abuse • Trauma from the family unit being broken • Education might be disrupted • Lack of support • Trouble with relationships

  4. CLAN Research • 2008 Survey “A Terrible way to grow up: The experiences of institutional care and it’s outcomes for care leavers in Australia”

  5. CLAN research • 2010 Survey “Struggling to keep it together” • Thank you to Frank Golding and Benita Rupan for collating these results and publishing the report

  6. Struggling to keep it together METHODOLOGY • 67 questions: • Tick box • Invitation to make additional comments • Encouraged to seek support from CLAN’s counsellor • No fixed deadline • Prompt response: 80 responses in 1 day • 577 responses in total

  7. Struggling to keep it together Demographics • 56% Females • 85% > 50yrs of age • 37% are married or de-facto • 80% reside in NSW, VIC, or QLD

  8. Leaving Care Statistics 16yrs of age was the most common age to leave care

  9. Education: • 52% did not complete year 10 Leaving care statistics 4%

  10. When you finally left ‘care’ to return to the wider community, which of the following happened? • 21% returned to their parents • A combined 22% spent the first night after leaving care alone, on the streets, or with strangers • 8% continued schooling • 9% had a job to go to 2% 4% 7% 12%

  11. Education • Schooling was ignored and not properly attended to • School disrupted from moving from one placement to the next • Disadvantages from lack of education: • Literacy • Career opportunities • Socio-economic status • Recommendations for the current Child Protection System • Continual stability of education • Emotionally stable environments to focus on schooling

  12. Avenues after leaving care • Children were carelessly discharged from care: • Alone • On the streets • With strangers “No clothes, no money no assistance” • Others were sent back to abusive or neglectful parents “I went back to the same alcoholic parents that I was taken from – nothing had changed” “I was returned to my abusive mother where her boyfriends attempted to molest me”

  13. Recommendations for the current child protection system • Consider child’s wishes • Life skills training • Job training • Transition to leave care • Ongoing support after leaving care

  14. Why life skills? • Things that parents teach that children in care miss out on: • Forming attachments • Developing relationships • Trusting others • Giving and receiving love

  15. Intergenerational effects 17% of respondents stated that their parents or grandparents were in the care system. 13% have had their own children or grandchildren placed in care. The following graph shows the break up of this 13% 18% 19% 17%% 28%8% 18%

  16. Intergenerational Effects • 54 respondents commented that they chose not to have children • 12% reported they have difficulties forming and maintaining relationships. • Being in care is a risk factor for their children being in care. • Continual counselling to address trauma, trust and attachment issues • A childhood in care makes the child no less valuable

  17. The legacy of leaving care unprepared • Social Inclusion Board (2010): • Multiple disadvantages: those who fall into at least 3 of 6 named categories • Entrenched disadvantage: Experiencing these 3 or more disadvantages for 2 years or more • The CLAN survey covered the 6 named disadvantages – the following are the results

  18. Disadvantage 1 • People who live in a household where no one is employed: • 59% of respondents reported that there was no person in paid employment in their household • 20% of these unemployed for longer than 2 years

  19. Disadvantage 2 • People in the bottom 30% of equivalent household disposable income who would not be able to raise $2000 within a week: • 53% said they could not raise $2000 in a week

  20. Disadvantage 3 • People who are able to get support in times of crisis from people living outside the household which may impact adversely on their ability to participate in the community: • Only 36% said they could get help from outside their household

  21. Disadvantage 4 • People whose self-assessed physical and mental health status as either fair, poor or very poor: • 60% reported their physical health as being fair, poor, or very poor. • 57% reported their mental health as being fair, poor, or very poor.

  22. Disadvantage 5 • People aged 20yrs or more who had not completed year 10 or higher at school: • 22% had no schooling beyond primary level • 52% did not complete year 10 at high school

  23. Disadvantage 6 • People who felt safe or unsafe at home alone after dark: • 19% of respondents felt unsafe or very unsafe at home after dark. • This is compared with 7% of the Australian population

  24. Other Disadvantages • 14% never married • 52% now live alone • 54% no not own their place of residence • 12% of respondents have serious psychological problems stemming from their childhood in care • 15% have trouble trusting those in authority • A combined 10% have or have had a drug or alcohol problem

  25. Conclusion • Care leavers suffer multiple disadvantages, social exclusion and isolation • Many of these disadvantages could have been avoided had they had proper preparation to leave care. • Current policy needs to be adapted to provide adequate preparation, support and assistance for children to successfully leave care

  26. Summary of Recommendations • Focus on Care Leavers who have recently left care and Care Leavers who have young children – Intergenerational effects needs to be seen as a risk factor • Comprehensive guide on Children’s Rights, phone numbers, support agencies, policies and procedures • Ongoing Counselling • Life Skills, Job Skills and Education

  27. SO LET’S LEARN FROM OUR HISTORY!

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