OZCHILD NEWSLETTER | AUTUMN 2016 | EDITION 2
ozchild matters
NEWS AND INTERVIEWS – FOSTER CARERS, KINSHIP CARERS, CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND FAMILIES
Cooper Gets a
Chance to Shine
An OzChild Scholarship sets up a
young musician for success
Foster Carers
Share Their Stories
Sue and Sheila explain how they
make foster caring work for them
Koorie Playgroup
Gets a Thumbs Up
Caring for
Kith and Kin
Kinship carers represent almost half of
all out-of-home carers, yet their story
is very different and more rarely told.
OzChild’s literacy partnership works
well with Indigenous communities
Therapy Animals:
Huge Hit with Kids
Our therapeutic specialist and her partner
work wonders with vulnerable children
ARTICLE
Welcome to
More Foster Carers
OzChild Matters 2Annie*, an eight-year-old girl,
Our mantra for 2016 has been
to work smarter, not harder,
and collaborate with others for
better outcomes. We’ve done
a lot to achieve this, including
joining the rest of Victoria’s 25
foster care agencies to launch
the Fostering Connections
recruitment campaign.
The number of children needing
care in Victoria increases 20%
per year to reach over 8,000
children and young people
today. One in eight of those
have experienced family
violence. We have an annual
shortage of 300 foster carers.
Too many children are left
without a safe, secure home
when they need it most.
OzChild is determined to make
a difference with the support
of our recent Strategic Plan:
New Frontiers in which we will
strengthen our impact, grow our
reach, integrate our business
and nurture our people. We are
committed to reach our vision
in which all children and young
people are safe, respected,
nurtured and reach their full
potential.
If you share this vision, we invite
you to partner with us too.
Lisa Sturzenegger
Chief Executive Officer
was living in a residential unit
for 18 months - the same kind
of residential care that has been
plagued by reports of child abuse.
And even though this abuse has
been well-reported in residential care
centres, many children and young
people continue to live in residential
care partly due to a serious shortage
of foster carers.
The Department of Health and
Human Services estimates that it
requires 300 extra foster carers for
respite, emergency, short-term and
long-term care every year.
In Victoria alone there are 8,000
children in the out-of-home care
system and it’s been increasing each
year.
Fortunately, Annie is one of the 109
children in the last year who has been
moved out of residential care to live
with a foster family, thanks to the
flexible funding support of Minister
for Families, Jenny Mikakos.
This funding has been vital to create
more safe, nurturing and caring
families for at-risk children, but
getting children out of residential care
can’t be done without finding more
foster carers.
“Foster carers are amazing people,
selfless people, who open their
hearts and homes to vulnerable
children. We need to support them
in that,” Minister Mikakos says. As
part of this drive to get children out
* Names have been changed to protect privacy
Are Needed Now Than Ever Before
“Foster carers are amazing
people, selfless people, who
open their hearts and homes to
vulnerable children. We need to
support them in that.”
of residential care and find caring
nurturing families for them instead,
OzChild developed a brand new
program called Let’s Stay Together,
which provides a furnished home
to a foster family and a child out of
residential care.
For Annie, OzChild was able to find
Debbie, who already had a 13-yearold daughter, Lilly, and was studying
social work. Debbie’s soft spoken
manner and calm demeanour was
perfect for Annie. After finding a
suitable property and moving Debbie
and her daughter in, Annie was able
to move into her new foster home.
Although scared at first, Annie is now
getting to know and trust Debbie and
Lilly, and settle into a home that is
safe, nurturing, stable and caring.
Like so many other agencies,
OzChild needs people willing to put
their hands up to care for children. As
Minister Mikakos puts it, “We need
to recruit more foster carers to give
as many children as possible a home
with a caring and supportive family
environment.”
To find out about how you could
become a foster carer, visit our
website at www.ozchild.org.au.
DID YOU KNOW...
109 kids have been moved
out of residential centres
and into foster or kinship
care in the last year in
Victoria.
Fostering Connections
OzChild is proud to be a part of Fostering
Connections, a collaboration in which for the
first time, Victoria’s 26 foster care agencies and
peak bodies have joined forces to recruit foster
carers. To find out more, visit their website at
www.fosteringconnections.com.au
OzChild Matters | Autumn 2016 |
3
ARTICLE
Top Ten Foster Care Myths Debunked
Myth 1: “Foster children are bad and
damaged beyond repair.”
This is one of the most harmful and
inaccurate myths about foster care.
Foster children are children who need a
safe home and the nurturing protection
of a stable adult who cares for them.
Foster children can be confused
and disorientated in their new home.
They can act out because they don’t
feel safe and being moved into care
can disrupt their schooling, causing
them to fall behind. But if they
receive compassion, patience and
understanding care, they can calm
down, settle in and begin to thrive.
Foster children face many unique
challenges but one of the most unfair
hurdles they face is the stigma society
places on them.
Myth 2: “I can’t be a foster carer, I
have a full time job.”
Over 62% of Victorians thought that
being a foster carer was a full time job,
which meant they couldn’t do it if they
already worked 9 - 5. But the truth is,
parents have full time jobs and so can
you when you’re a foster carer. OzChild
can help recommend childcare options
and work with you and your support
network to tackle how to be a carer
with a full time job.
Myth 3: “I can’t be a foster carer, it’s
far too expensive.”
25% of Victorians thought foster carers
needed to be well-off.
While you do need to be financially
stable, you don’t need to be rich to
be a foster carer. All you need is a
secure home, a good social network
and the desire to protect and care
for vulnerable children and young
people. Plus, there are financial
reimbursements for foster carers to
help with their expenses.
Myth 4: “I couldn’t be a foster carer, I
would get too attached.”
It’s true that carers get attached and
can feel sad when a child leaves, but
our carers tell us that it’s worth it. No
matter when a child’s time with you
ends, they will never forget you and
the difference you made in their life.
Myth 5: “My kids wouldn’t like it if I
become a foster carer. ”
Your family’s needs are of course
most important, but did you know
that some of our biggest advocates
are the children of foster carers who
are vocal about how much they enjoy
sharing their lives with other kids?
They love spending time with their
“foster siblings”.
Myth 6: “I don’t think people will let
me be a foster carer, I’m gay.”
This is not true. As long as you are
committed to caring for children
and have the necessary space and
security in your residence for a child
or young person, you can transform
their life.
Myth 7: “I’m too old to become a
foster carer. ”
Anyone above the age of 21 can apply
to become a foster carer as long as
you’re healthy and capable of caring
for a child. Some of our more senior
foster carers have the stability, wisdom
and patience that children and young
people really need to feel safe, settle in,
and make progress in their life.
Myth 8: “Foster carers can’t choose
who they care for.”
OzChild respects the right of carers
to accept or decline the placement
of a child, whether it’s because
they feel unable to provide for that
child’s needs or due to their own
circumstances.
Myth 9: “I can’t be a foster carer, I’m
a single man. ”
Both men and women, whether
single or not, can make great foster
carers. If you’re a single man and you
have energy, patience, and you care
about children, you could be a carer.
Myth 10: “I’ve never had kids, how
can I possibly be a foster carer? ”
Some of our most long-standing,
effective, successful and vocal foster
carers are people who have never
had children of their own.
Want to know more?
Why not fill out our online form to
attend an information night and
see what else you might not have
known about foster care? www.
ozchild.org.au
OzChild Matters | Autumn 2016 |
5
ARTICLE
Traumatised Children Find Healing
Through Animal-Assisted Therapy
Dara* was a young girl engaging in high-risk behaviour with low self
esteem and a history of numerous placements, but thanks to OzChild’s
Therapeutic Specialist Sianon Daley and a specially-trained animalassisted therapy dog named Romeo, she is improving.
Before coming to OzChild, Sianon
and Romeo worked side-by-side in
schools and family violence refuges.
“Animal-assisted therapy is
particularly valuable with kids
who don’t trust adults, as well as
those who have difficulty forming
relationships with their peers,”
Sianon says. “A therapy dog can
be incredibly valuable in teaching
children how to develop more
adaptive social skills and how to
build better relationships with the
important people in their lives.”
Research has shown that animalassisted therapy has also been
shown to have positive effects on
children and young people with
* Names have been changed to protect privacy
behavioural problems as a result of
trauma, making it ideal treatment for
some children in out-of-home care.
Romeo accompanies Sianon to her
counselling sessions with children
and young people in home-based
care, who deal with a range of issues
from hypervigilance to emotional
dysregulation. Romeo is a great
tool in assisting children and young
people to de-escalate when they’re
emotionally elevated.
Sianon doesn’t know much about
Romeo’s history before she rescued
him, except that he came from an
abusive home.
“At first he was worried, shy and
cautious – and he really overcame
that when I worked with him,” Sianon
says.
“It’s great thing to explain to children
with a history of trauma. Romeo has
his own history of trauma but is now
a high-functioning, happy dog.”
Beyond pats and cuddles, Romeo
helps Sianon’s young clients develop
healthy life skills.
Dara’s positive response to Romeo
despite her behavioural and
emotional problems are a perfect
demonstration of how successful
animal-assisted therapy can be.
Part of Dara’s session is to train
Romeo to do tricks, which develops
her communication and interpersonal
skills.
“We can’t talk to animals so we
have to find different ways to
communicate,” Sianon says. “In
working with Romeo, Dara is gaining
a greater awareness of the impact
that body language and tone of voice
has on her interactions. We then talk
about she can utilise those skills in
different contexts and how that might
positively impact her interactions with
other people in a range of situations.”
There is an abundance of research
around the world that supports the
efficacy of animal-assisted therapy
and it is fast becoming a common
method amongst special education
teachers, counsellors, psychologists,
DID YOU KNOW...
Animal assisted therapy
has worked using horses,
guinea pigs and even
llamas, as well as dogs.
and therapists working with children
who have complex needs.
Sianon confirms that Romeo has
already been of enormous benefit to
the children she is working with.
“We had a child who was very
anxious and becoming increasingly
distressed about a new placement,”
Sianon said.
“We brought Romeo out to spend
some time with her and she instantly
calmed down and started playing
with him. It made all the difference at
a very difficult time for that child.”
“What Romeo provides her with
is unconditional love and support.
He’s always happy to see her.
No matter what challenges she’s
facing, Romeo is very consistent
in the way he responds to her.”
OzChild Matters | Autumn 2016 |
7
ARTICLE
INTERVIEW
Valerie May House Provides
Respite for Local Families
No matter how much you love your
job, everyone needs the occasional
holiday, but how often do parents get
to take a break from the challenges of
raising a family?
When families face even more pressure
(whether it’s financial, emotional or
other circumstances) it increases
their risk of breaking down. Providing
temporary child care relief is a crucial
part of protecting families.
One of OzChild’s respite care services
is Valerie May House: a five-bedroom
home-away-from-home in Cranbourne
that provides short-term care for
children living with disabilities.
Carers or parents can book their kids
into Valerie May House overnight or for
the weekend.
Children use the space to listen to
music, play with sensory toys and
games, get out on the accessibilityfriendly playground, watch movies,
make arts and crafts and read books.
Valerie May House also provide
group outings to parks, fetes, zoos,
beaches, museums and the cinema.
“Community access is an important
part of our program,” Valerie May
House staff Samantha Bailey says.
Taking children on outings is vital to
their wellbeing, but costly and can only
continue if Valerie May House can get
support from donors. Then our kids
can look forward to getting active and
being a part of the wider community.
OzChild Foster Carers are Standing
Up and Speaking out for Kids
Sue Fitzgerald and Sheila Collins are two of our foster carers who are
sharing what it means to open your home to children in need.
The couple have been carers for five
years and have cared for more than
ten children, including babies straight
out of hospital and two-year-olds.
Sometimes they stay overnight, or for
over a year.
Sue and Sheila personify the phrase
that “it takes a village to raise a
child.”
“We’re very aware that there are
children less fortunate than our son,
so we thought we can provide love,
care and support,” Sheila says.
Of course, foster caring comes with
challenges and difficulties.
“You do get attached to them,” Sheila
admits. “As much as you remind
yourself that it’s temporary, you can’t
help but love them and our son does
too.” But they find that the rewards
make it worth it.
“We wanted to give back to the
community, so we did the training.”
Now this loving couple are permanent
carers for a young girl who has been
living with them for over 18 months.
Their advice to prospective carers:
“People looking at foster care need
to know that it’s okay to say no to a
placement and that a child might not
fit into your family situation.”
Want to speak to our foster carers in person?
OzChild will be hosting an Open Information Night where you can ask
questions and discuss foster care with our foster carers and staff. Our next
Information Night will be held in Pakenham on Wednesday, May 18th from
6pm. For more information, call 03 9212 3900 or email our recruitment team
on [email protected]
OzChild Matters | Autumn 2016 |
9
INTERVIEW
Kinship Care: a Very Different
Kind of Out-Of-Home Care.
Kinship carers make up almost half of all out-of-home carers
yet their story is very different and rarely told.
Ten years ago, Cathy* received a late night call from the Department of
Health and Human Services asking if she could take in an acquaintance’s
infant daughter, Bea*. Of course she said yes, not realising that over a
decade later, Bea would still be living with her.
Cathy is one of Victoria’s many
kinship carers who make up almost
half of the State’s 49,000 out-ofhome carers. Although kinship carers
are often grouped with foster carers,
they are definitely not the same.
“Foster carers make a conscious
decision, they have many
conversations before they get the
child,” Cathy explains, “whereas
my child was with me for a couple
of years before I realised she could
never go back to her mum.”
Bea, who is now 12 and has been
with Cathy since she was 18 months
old (due to her mum’s drug abuse),
also has additional needs.
“I knew because of her needs that it
would be hard for others to care for
Bea. She might go from foster home
to foster home.
* Names have been changed to protect privacy
I just couldn’t put her through that.”
After many phone calls and a lot of
pushing, Cathy was finally afforded a
permanent care order.
“Before the permanent care order,
Bea slept in our office and would
say ‘I want to live with you forever,’
and I’d answer ‘Maybe we’ll see’,
whereas now I can say ‘Yes you can’
and she has her own room.”
Cathy is also part of OzChild’s
Kinship Advocates, a group that
provide each other with support.
The challenges facing kinship carers
are unique and not well-known or
understood, not the least of which is
the complications of caring for one of
your family member’s children.
“I’m probably better off than most
kinship carers,” Cathy admits.
“With kinship care, the
choice to be a carer is
made years after the child
has come to stay and
many are dealing with
their daughter or son’s
problems too.”
“Most other kinship carers are caring
for their grandkids and therefore
dealing with their own child’s
problems as well.”
As one of the Kinship Advocates,
Cathy is aware of her fellow carers
issues. “I often wonder if it was my
daughter on drugs, whether I’d be
able to handle this situation as well.”
“The Advocate Group is good because
I can vent to other kinship carers and
no one is trying to fix it, they just listen
and it makes you feel better.”
But for a retired childcare worker
in their sixties, whose husband has
serious health issues, what does it
mean to be caring for a child again?
“We all worry about getting older.
Without me, both Bea and my
husband will need someone to take
care of them. So I need to take care
of myself and try to make Bea as
independent as possible.”
“There are some positives though.
I would never have known how to
use an iPad or the internet, I’m riding
my bike again after 40 years and we
even swim laps together. In some
ways this really keeps me young.”
Along with her compassion and
decency, Cathy’s positive attitude
is part of what makes her a great
advocate for kinship carers, but she
is very clear about the challenges
that face carers like her and what
needs to change.
“With kinship care, the choice to be
a carer is made years after the child
is already living with them, and in the
meantime a lot of kinship carers are
also dealing with their daughter and
son’s problems.”
“Trying to find help is hard. It’s
like a minefield to find the right
people, there’s no one-stop-shop
for the support kinship carers
need, especially if your child has
a disability. Luckily, I didn’t find
OzChild, they found me.”
More importantly, it’s lucky that Bea
found Cathy, and has a safe, caring
and loving family to come home to.
For more information about our
Kinship Care Services, please call
(03) 9212 5600 or visit our website
at www.ozchild.org.au.
Kinship Carer Research & Programs
In addition to our Kinship Advocate & Mentor Group,
which helps kinship carers to meet and support each other,
OzChild has contributed to published research in the field,
including a paper published in the British Journal of Social
Work, which may help others understand the unique
challenges of and design better support for kinship carers.
OzChild Matters | Autumn 2016 |
11
INTERVIEW
Cooper’s Chance to Shine
For most aspiring musicians, buying a guitar is a matter of asking mum
and dad or getting a part-time job and saving up. But it’s not that easy
when you’re from a single parent family and you live so remotely that you
have to travel 52km to school everyday. Luckily, OzChild were able to give
Cooper Lower a step up through a Chance to Shine Scholarship.
While most kids are enjoying their
school holidays, 17-year-old Cooper
is spending ten hours a day recording
his first album in a Collingwood
studio and preparing to support a
touring musician, before going back
to studying for Year 12 of his VCE.
Before the Chance to Shine
Scholarship, Cooper saved up for
his first guitar by doing odd jobs over
six months.
“All of a sudden
I had all these
opportunities.”
“It took so long to earn that money,”
Cooper reminisces. “I thought it was
the best thing ever.” But a few years
later, Cooper realised the cheap
guitar was not up to live performance
and “sounded dreadful”. It wasn’t
going to help him get any gigs and no
one was going to take him seriously
as a musician. In order to pursue
his goal of becoming a professional
musician, he needed equipment that
was beyond his means. His mum was
already stretched thin financially as
the sole parent and provider for two
children.
“I don’t want to play the victim,”
Cooper says. “In our family, we
always had what we needed. And
that’s not a terrible thing, but it did
rule out some opportunities. It’s the
little things that you miss out on.”
Thanks to Cooper’s teachers
and his school welfare officer, he
wasn’t going to miss out this time.
In order to pay for the equipment
Cooper needed, they recommended
OzChild’s Chance to Shine
Scholarship. Although Cooper is
remarkably resilient and positive,
his teachers identified that his
disadvantages would qualify him for
the application.
His determination impressed
OzChild’s panel and his application
was successful, enabling Cooper
to buy the guitar he needed. That’s
when his musical career took off.
“I knew Chance to Shine would
open doors, but I had no idea the
extent,” Cooper says. “All of a
sudden, I had all these opportunities,
all because people could see I wasn’t
just a kid with a hobby.”
At Cooper’s first gig with his new
guitar, he says he “felt confident,
knowing I had a playable guitar and
that people would walk past me and
know that I was taking this seriously.”
Cooper now plays regularly at local
venues, busks and even performed
a set at the Moomba Festival in
Melbourne.
His music has even reached
international audiences, thanks to
social media; a video of Cooper
performing his original song “Deluded
Eyes” received over 10,000 views
within 24 hours of him posting it.
“The song imagines what it would be
like living with a mental disability,”
Cooper says. “My Mum used to be
a disability support worker and we
became close friends with one of her
clients. We’d talk for hours.”
“There were a lot of different people
who connected and responded to
that song and it means the world to
me. I still pinch myself about that.”
Cooper’s new album is about societal
issues and his personal experiences.
“I’m sure there’s hundreds of people
who think similar things like I do, but
I’m lucky enough to show it,” Cooper
says. “I’m not taking it for granted.
If people pick up on what I’m saying
then that’s awesome.”
Cooper Lower’s debut album will
be released in December 2016.
OzChild Matters | Autumn 2016 |
13
ARTICLE
Koorie Playgroup: In Language,
On Country and Having Fun
Aboriginal Australians face poorer health, education and social outcomes
than non-Aboriginal Australians. But what can Reconciliation and Closing
the Gap actually look like?
OzChild’s Western Region has a
small but dedicated team who have
been working hard for the last few
years to tackle these issues through
the Koorie Playgroups in Portland.
The playgroups have been running
for eight years under the stewardship
of Claire Jennings, who has worked
with Indigenous communities
for ten years and built up strong
partnerships. “It’s about building
trust. We’re not mob, so we work
patiently alongside the parents,
sensitive to and understanding their
culture and history to make good
things happen,” Claire says.
Like most playgroups, families attend
with their young children to play,
do arts and crafts, read and sing
together while immersing children
in their Indigenous culture. Cultural
heritage is an integral part of a
person’s identity and confidence,
particularly for young people who are
starting to develop their sense of self.
The playgroup staff have extensive,
ongoing cultural sensitivity
training with local elders and have
incorporated local languages into
their playgroup material.
“I’m sure people think we
probably just ‘play’ with kids,
but there’s so much more to
working with Aboriginal families
with young children. And there’s
so much theory and cultural
knowledge needed to keep such
programs going for so long.”
The Thookay-ta Keerna-ke (Children’s
Gathering) weekly playgroup uses
Dhauwurd-Wurrung Aboriginal
Community Health Service as a
venue, allowing families to directly
access Aboriginal health services.
Indigenous literacy is a major
component in the playgroups. The
Reading Discovery Program chooses
books about Indigenous culture and
creates interactive activities based
on the book’s themes, while also
encouraging parents to read aloud
with their children.
Claire says there are about ten
families who visit regularly. But the
Playgroup staff also reach out to
identified at-risk families who are
disengaged from the community.
Sometimes the playgroup conducts
one-on-one play sessions at home
to transition them into coming to
a group session. Some of these
families struggle with home care
and feel too shy to access local
services, so the Playgroup staff assist
the families with simple tasks like
tidying the house and transporting
the kids to school, all while
providing mentorship to families on
maintaining healthy home and family
environments.
Claire says the team want to start
Bush Playgroup which gets kids
out on country and playing in a way
that is true to their culture. Research
suggests that when children play in a
natural environment without toys and
structure, their “global development”
(cognitive, emotional, psychological,
physical) improves.
“We love the people here and love
working with the local Indigenous
community,” Claire says.
DID YOU KNOW...
The Koorie
Playgroup uses
Discovery Press’s
published picture
books featuring
Indigenous art
and symbols, made
in collaboration with
artist Debbie Austin
from the Kirrae Whurrong nation.
Unique to the Koorie Playgroup
is that it assists parents with
transitioning their children into
Kindergarten, which can be quite
difficult in terms of enrolment
dates, following processes and
having the correct paperwork.
OzChild Matters | Autumn 2016 |
15
SUPPORTERS
SUPPORTERS
Jack N’ Jill: Natural Oral Care for Kids
Booran Holden, Dandenong
Malcolm Lehner and his partner
Michelle King are OzChild foster
carers who have opened their house
and their hearts to children in need.
The Carrum Downs couple became
foster carers for OzChild two years
ago and have cared for three children
— a nine-year-old girl, and her two
brothers, five and two.
The children had been separated
previously, but Mr Lehner decided to
“put them back together” by taking
all three children in.
With four children of their own, life in
their household can be very busy.
To help make it easier to move the
large family around, Booran Holden
in Dandenong recently donated a Kia
Carnival mini-van to the family and a
second mini-van to a family of eight.
“These minivans will help the families
continue these stable and ongoing
arrangements into the future,”
OzChild CEO Lisa Sturzenegger says.
“They’ll help with the various
extracurricular activities that are
so important to the children’s
development and to keep them
connected to the community.”
Booran Holden’s generosity doesn’t
end there. They have supported
OzChild for many years now with
donations, prizes for our Gala Ball,
attendance at all our events and
discounted services, assistance and
above-and-beyond support with
OzChild’s fleet of cars.
You can find Booran Holden at
25 Lonsdale St, Dandenong.
Jack N’ Jill is a growing Australian
organisation owned and run by
wife and husband team Rachel and
Justin Bernhaut, who wanted to
create natural, safe, organic oral care
products specifically for children,
toddlers and babies.
“It all started when we had our
first son, Dali. We changed our
eating and shopping habits
because of him. We started
buying unprocessed food and
became aware of all the additives
in our daily lives.”
Recently, Jack N’ Jill was generous
enough to respond to a request from
OzChild to provide foster children
with toiletries. Without delay, they
sent over boxes and boxes of
toothbrushes, toothpastes, cups and
other goodies for our kids, which we
could put into their overnight packs.
By providing support to the children
that OzChild care for, Jack N’ Jill
align business with their personal
values, and make a difference to the
most vulnerable in our community.
“As parents we find it heartbreaking
that children anywhere in the world
are exposed to violence,” Rachel
says. “As a children’s brand we take
many opportunities to contribute to
the work of organisations that assist
the plight of children.”
To find out more about Jack N’ Jill’s
beautifully designed, natural oral care
for children, visit
www.jackandjillkids.com/au/
DID YOU KNOW...
On any given night, OzChild
finds safe foster families for
300 at-risk children and
young people.
“When you come down to it, kids
need care. If my kids ever found
themselves in a bad position –
it’s important to know that there
are organisations like OzChild
out there. You know that they roll
up their sleeves and they get the
job done. We know the money
we give is going to a good
cause.”
- Mal McPhee, Fleet Sales
Manager, Booran Holden
Dandenong
OzChild Matters | Autumn 2016 |
17
HOW TO HELP
LEE AT 18 YEARS OLD
Lee is no longer in the
system. He has:
- No one caring for him
- No qualifications
- No job prospects
- No place of residence
- Memories of abuse,
neglect and abandonment
Lee is at high risk of:
- Chronic mental illness
- Alcohol/substance abuse
- Criminal activity
- Homelessness
- Further abuse
Your Donations Make a Difference
Your donations are needed to go towards the vital wraparound services which
can transform the outcomes for children growing up in out-of-home care.
1
Lee can no longer live safely with his biological family and
the State Government Department places him under a
Child Protection Order.
The State Government searches for a relative or close
friend to take Lee, and if that’s not availble, they search for
a local foster carer or agency to take Lee in.
LEE LIVES WITH A SUPPORTED CARER
2
3
4
8
LEE LIVES WITH AN UNSUPPORTED CARER
Lee is still hurting
and disorientated,
which affects his
behaviour, making
it hard for the
carer to cope.
OzChild can provide more respite
carers, volunteers, therapeutic support,
and additional training.
Lee’s carer is better
supported to handle
his behaviour and he
begins to settle in.
2
3
Lee is still hurting
and disorientated,
which affects his
behaviour, making
it hard for the
carer to cope.
Lee runs away from the centre,
drops out of school and sleeps
at friend’s houses.
Lee’s carer becomes so burnt-out and
overwhelmed that they can no longer
care for him.
4
7
Lee goes back into the
system to be placed
with another carer.
5
Since changing schools,
Lee has fallen behind.
OzChild can provide
educational support,
a regular mentor and a
financial scholarship.
6
5
6
8
Lee has trusting
relationships
with others
around him,
a support
network. He is
finishing school
and has plans
for the future.
Lee discovers a passion for
design but his foster carer can’t
afford a computer. OzChild
provides a Chance to Shine
Scholarship to help him pursue
his interest, which gives him a
focus in high school.
2ND PLACEMENT BREAKDOWN
A second carer is
unable to handle
Lee’s behaviour and
emotions. He goes back
into the system again.
Lee’s wellbeing
and behaviour
deteriorates
further. He falls
behind at school
and skips class.
Lee still experiences emotional problems
as a result of his history of family violence
which is impacting his development.
OzChild can provide a psychological
therapeutic worker to help him through it.
Lee is no longer in the
system. He has:
- The ability to trust others
- High school qualifications
- Help getting a job
- Memories of abuse and
neglect then being cared
for and protected
Lee has the opportunity:
- To train/study further
- Develop financial
independence
- Move out into his own
accommodation
7
With a shortage of
foster carers, Lee goes
into institutional care
where he has problems
with other residents.
1ST PLACEMENT BREAKDOWN
LEE AT 18 YEARS OLD
7
Lee’s foster carer is under added
pressure due to change in their
circumstances. OzChild can recruit
a respite foster carer to take Lee
off their hands on weekends and a
volunteer to assist the family.
OzChild Matters | Autumn 2016 |
19
Yes, I want all kids to be safe.
You can help protect children by making a donation using the form
below or via our secure website form at www.ozchild.org.au
Name:
Address:
Phone:
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Please accept my donation of:
$5
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$15
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Or a monthly amount of:
$5
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Please debit my:
Card number:
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Name on card:
Expiry date:
Signature:
OR please find my cheque enclosed, made payable to OzChild
Post to: OzChild – PO Box 1312 South Melbourne VIC 3205 or
donate securely online at www.ozchild.org.au
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disclosed to other members of the organisation or third parties where it is required or allowed by law or where you have otherwise consented.
You can access the personal information we have collected, if we have retained it, by calling the organisation. OzChild is a community based
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