Rescue, Restore and Return. Is it possible for children through ONE Kinship Care Placement with little community assistance? Karen Lizasoain Samaritans Foundation

Overview Samaritans – fast facts Kinship Care – Grandparents as parents Kinship Care – Fast facts Rescue, Restore and Return One Story Informal Kinship Care Another Story What has been achieved

Samaritans Fast Facts One of Australia’s largest regional welfare organisations, operating on the east coast of NSW. In the Central Coast, Newcastle, Hunter and Manning regions Every week, Samaritans provides to 8,543 families experiencing disadvantage in our local community. 271 families who care for their grandchildren participated in our peer support groups.

Kinship Care - Grandparents As Parents Samaritans’ Kinship Care (also known as GAPS - Grandparents As Parents) program is support for grandparents who are raising their grandchildren, both formally and informally. Kinship Care runs peer support groups and community forums, and offers information for grandparents on how they can access financial and legal assistance in the event that they feel their grandchildren are receiving inadequate care.

Kinship Care – Fast Facts Kinship care is the fastest growing care type in Australia (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2007). “Statutory” (formal) kinship placements occur when a Child Protection intervention has occurred and a decision has been made to place a child with relatives or a significant friend, and also involves an order made by the Children’s Court. “Informal” kinship care is the term used for those arrangements where children are cared for by relatives without any Child Protection intervention. It may involve Family Court orders.

Kinship Care – Fast Facts ABS estimates 16,000 families in Australia are ‘grandparent families’ This only includes those with statutory care. The actual number of children in kinship care is likely to be much higher than those identified. There is a growing gap between informal and formal (statutory) kinship care in financial and non-financial supports and services available to carer families Statutory kinship care is an evolving area of policy and practice across NSW and Australia

Rescue, Restore and Return The current departmental service model outlines the supports, monitoring and supervision for relative and kinship carers of children and young people who are in the statutory out-of-home care system. Statutory Relative and kinship services will: provide caseworker support and contact for carers according to individual need and placement type, that is responsive to issues and concerns; provide additional support and services to carers under stress; including regular planned respite care

Rescue, Restore and Return Arrange or provide specialist support and advice to carers to assist them in their role; Provide or arrange peer support groups for kinship carers; Facilitate contact arrangements between the child/young person and their parents, where there is potential for intra-family conflict;

Pat’s story Started with GAPS support group before primary carer, as was aware of difficulties. She was looking after the grandchildren as often as possible, one with autism. Following a psychotic episode, Daughter-in-law was hospitalised, then to rehabilitation unit. She has not returned to the family home since. Son struggled to parent and attend work. So Pat cared for the children during the week and he cared as best he could on weekends. Case Study Kinship Formal Care

Pat’s Story continued Pat was receiving the aged pension and was able to get more Centrelink assistance, on advice. Unfortunately, the Son started drinking heavily, became severely depressed and was then hospitalised Pat rang FaCS about the best plan for the children. Family mediation resulted in Pat caring full time, until the Son was able to resume his parenting, (Family Court ordered) verified the situation. After assessment, Pat was also paid Supported Care Allowance (FaCS)

Pat’s story continued GAPS referred her to a child care agency and emergency relief. Pat gained ongoing emotional support from the GAPS group. The children made friends with other children from grandparent headed families and meet at social functions organised by GAPS. 2 years later,Son completed alcohol rehabilitation and worked to be carer for his children again with assistance. Pat continues to provide respite These children would have experienced more trauma and disruption without Pat. She was aware of agencies to assist, because of her involvement with a support group which regularly links carers to community services.

Informal Kinship carers Rescue, Restore and Return has the intention of reforming the “supported care no order” pathway (Informal Kinship Care) Children and their kinship carers who are not subject to a statutory court order are not able to access these services and now will sit outside our support systems. Many informal Kinship carers are not even aware of the statutory regulations or of any type of financial or other assistance for the children in their care Huge concerns for their grandchildren can isolate grandparents even further from accessing these systems

Case Study Kinship Informal Care Eve’s Story Eve’s daughter has diagnosed Schizophrenia. She took her medication, completed high school and some of a university arts degree. However, at Uni she engaged in drug use with a boyfriend and gave up study. Together they had 3 girls in under 5 years. Eve supported them whenever necessary. After a break up the daughter asked Eve to take on full responsibility for the girls while she tried to get her life and health back on track.

Eve’s Story continued Eve moved the children into her home, finding them preschools and school for the eldest. Eve was a self funded retiree. Over time she found her fund depleted and had to apply for an age pension. Eve had no community service support, no case worker, no formal respite or extra assistance for the girls and yet she has kept the three children together,within the extended family, enabling constant contact with their mother, and stability.

Eve’s Story Continued The Daughter is now medically supervised and living independently but is deemed not capable of sole parenting her girls so Eve will continue to raise the children until their independence. Eve has recently contacted a support group who informed her of an allowance for each child if she complies with the assessment by FaCS. This allowance and contact with the GAPS support group will make a huge difference to the wellbeing of the children and for Eve!

Successes of Informal Care Kinship carers can rescue before child protection agencies can mobilise Maintaining one placement within the extended family. In the event of the death of a grandparent carer,another member of the extended family steps up to take on the role Keeping large family group together ….there can be difficulties finding foster carers willing to take in large numbers of children Parents (the middle generation) are often assisted to get rehabilitation while children remain in extended family situation.

Outcomes from Kinship Care Program Of those we support 84 have Statutory Care, 149 have Family Court orders and 51 with no legal orders. Kinship care often extends past 18. For the children there is often more contact with their parents and with extended family. We support 271 families and 386 children. One grandparent is looking after 11 grandchildren, another has 9 and about 6 grandparents are caring for 5 grandchildren each.

Conclusion Whether children go into Kinship care through Statutory care or Informal arrangements, Kinship carers face multiple challenges with their children and grandchildren and in accessing the systems of support. The parents of children, the middle generation in this triplet are sometimes supported by their parents and where possible have been supported back into their parenting roles. It happens and could occur more frequently if ALL Kinship carers are recognised and assisted.

Conclusion Rescue, Restore and Return. Is it possible for children through ONE Kinship Care Placement with little community assistance? Unlikely But with community assistance such as Kinship Care YES!

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