Badal Moslehuddin

Moving out from the state parental home: A comparison of leaving care policies in Victoria and New South Wales

Young people leaving care are arguably one of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in society. Compared to most young people, they face numerous barriers to accessing educational, employment and other developmental and transitional opportunities. Using information from interviews and a range of documents, this study compares the leaving care supports currently available in two Australian states, Victoria and New South Wales. Attention is drawn to the history of the leaving care debate in both states, the nature of the existing legislative and program supports for care leavers in each state, the key political and policy actors that have either helped or hindered the development of leaving care policies and services in each state, and the principal unmet needs of care leavers in each state. The findings suggest that NSW leads the way in terms of providing effective legislative and program supports to care leavers. The differences between Victoria and NSW are attributed to a number of factors including particularly the different relationships between the respective government bureaucracies and non-government child welfare sectors.

Young People Transitioning From Out-of-home Care and Relationships with Family of Origin: An Examination of Three Recent Australian Studies

It is generally accepted (for example, Stein and Wade) that those young people who are able to establish positive relationships with their family in care and/or when transitioning from care are more likely to have a positive self-identity and self-confidence, and overall better outcomes. Conversely, poor or non-existent family links may contribute to low self-esteem and limited confidence. Here we present the findings of three recent qualitative Australian studies on young people transitioning from care, which include an overview of their relationships with family of origin. We examine the strengths and weaknesses of these relationships, and suggest implications for practice reform.

The impact of fostering on the biological children of foster carers: A review of literature

Substantial changes in the nature of foster care during the last few decades place increasing demands not only on foster parents, but also on all members of their family. Some of these changes include the increasing number of children needing foster care and the resultant growth in the number of foster families, the move towards deinstitutionalisation, the use of treatment and specialist foster care and more emphasis on family reunification. Despite this, biological children of carers receive very little attention and recognition of their contribution. In spite of the extensive literature on the subject of foster care, very little has been written on the impact of fostering on biological children. The literature related to foster care has primarily focused on professional processes, such as assessment and selection of foster families and management of the placement of a foster child. The limited amount of literature available on this topic is mainly from the UK and the US and is mainly related to foster mothers and their perceptions, with very little reference to their birth children. This along with my personal interest and practice experience has inspired me to conduct a literature review and write this paper.

National Leaving Care Survey and Research Study: Funded by Australian Research Alliance for Children & Youth

Australian child protection services have been slower than some of their overseas counterparts, such as the United Kingdom, to recognise the need for specific services for young people leaving care. The last 10 years, however, have seen a body of research into the needs of young people leaving care in various Australian States, with the resulting establishment of specific services in some States. As each State is governed by different Acts that regulate the services provided to young people in care, the development of new services has, of necessity, been on a state by state basis, with little or no coordination or consistency of service provision across Australia.