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MacKillop Family Services & Centre for Multicultural Youth: Cultural Mentoring Program
University of South Australia – Renee Usher: “It’s not a normal upbringing”
Yooralla & Anglicare: Aspire 2 Be – Better support for children in care with a disability.
MacKillop Family Services: Strengthening Outcomes Through Animal Assisted Education
Monash University & Kids First Australia: ‘Meaningful conversations…’
Orygen & Veritas House: Trauma-Informed Individual Placement and Support

MacKillop Family Services & Centre for Multicultural Youth: Cultural Mentoring Program: Developing a Best Practice Model for Embedding Culturally Responsive Practice in Out of Home Care (OOHC)

Presented by Simangaliso Nyoni (MacKillop Family Services) & Chelsea King (CMY)

MacKillop Family Services, in partnership with the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY), presented their cultural mentoring program, designed to enhance culturally responsive practices for multicultural youth in care.

Key Insights:

  • Cultural Connection and Identity: The program helps youth connect with their cultural identity, promoting emotional and psychological well-being through cultural mentoring.
  • Embedding Culturally Responsive Practices: Continuous training and feedback foster inclusive care environments, while addressing systemic biases and racism ensures cultural safety.
  • Mentorship and Youth-Driven Decision Making: Meaningful mentorship is built on valuing mentors’ lived experiences, and the program adapts to the needs of both mentors and youth through ongoing input and sustained training.

This program reflects a commitment to creating supportive environments for multicultural youth, fostering their growth and cultural identity.

Keywords: Out of Home Care (OOHC), Culturally responsive practice

University of South Australia – Renee Usher: “It’s not a normal upbringing”: Views of young care leaver mothers’ to enhance parenting supports and help break the cycle of intergenerational out-of-home care.

Presented by Renée Usher

Hear from Renée Usher, University of South Australia and the Australian Centre for Child Protection, addressing the challenges faced by young care leaver mothers, highlighting the urgent need for improved support systems.

Key insights:

  • Challenges and Lack of Support: Young care leaver mothers often lack resources and guidance as they transition to independence, increasing the risk of negative outcomes for both them and their children.
  • Stigma and Fear of Seeking Help: Stigma associated with being a care leaver creates barriers to accessing support, while fear of child protection involvement prevents young mothers from asking for help, impacting their ability to provide stable homes.
  • Need for Improved Support and Policy Implementation: There is a disconnect between policy intentions and the realities faced by care leaver mothers, highlighting the need for better planning, trust-building, and continuous feedback to improve service delivery.

Continuous evaluation and feedback from care leavers to child protection agencies are essential for fostering improvements in service delivery, leading to more tailored and effective support systems that meet their needs.

Keywords: Out of Home Care (OOHC), Parenting

Yooralla & Anglicare: Aspire 2 Be – Better support for children in care with a disability.

Presented by Katrina Aabryn (Yooralla) & Anne Welfare (Anglicare Victoria)

This session focused on supporting children in care with disabilities, emphasising the collaboration between Yooralla and Anglicare Victoria.

Key insights:

  • Crucial Collaboration: The partnership between Yooralla and Anglicare Victoria improves service delivery and support for children with disabilities in care.
  • Need for Early Intervention and Training: Early intervention prevents placement breakdowns and enhances outcomes, while training frontline workers increases their advocacy effectiveness.
  • Systemic Challenges and Future Focus: Navigating the NDIS remains complex, and addressing systemic barriers to support is vital for long-term positive change, especially for younger populations.

A future-focused approach is essential for expanding the program’s reach to younger populations, creating lasting positive change in the lives of children in care.

Keywords: Out of Home Care (OOHC), disability

MacKillop Family Services: Strengthening Outcomes Through Animal-Assisted Education: A Collaboration Across Sectors 

Presented by Brona Walsh, MacKillop Family Services (The Mackillop Institute)

This presentation from MacKillop Family Services explored the transformative effects of animal-assisted education, highlighting the Paw Pals program, which uses therapy dogs to support at-risk students.

Key Insights:

  • Emotional and Social Support: Paw Pals uses therapy dogs to enhance the emotional well-being and social skills of at-risk students, particularly those in out-of-home care.
  • Collaborative Approach: The program involves multi-disciplinary teams, including educators and therapy dog handlers, to integrate animal-assisted support into educational settings.
  • Positive Outcomes and Future Vision: Data shows improvements in students’ emotional awareness and self-management, with a vision for expanding access to animal-assisted interventions for all children in need.

The presentation highlighted various innovative programs aimed at empowering and supporting young people in care, emphasising the transformative effects of experiential learning, community engagement, and tailored support systems, such as animal-assisted education, to foster personal growth, resilience, and positive future outcomes.

Keywords: Out of Home Care (OOHC), Mental health

Monash University & Kids First Australia: ‘Meaningful conversations…’ Co-creating care records for memory, identity and accountability needs of care experienced people

Presented by Jade Purtell (Monash University), and Lara Gerrand & Anna (Kids First Australia)

This discussion from Monash University and Kids First Australia explored the co-creation of care records between practitioners and individuals with lived experience in the care system, focusing on the importance of participatory recordkeeping and amplifying young voices.

Key insights:

  • Inclusion of Young Voices: Actively involving young people in the recordkeeping process ensures their experiences are authentically captured, making records more meaningful and accurate.
  • Balancing Confidentiality and Accuracy: Improved systems and training are needed to navigate confidentiality concerns while maintaining comprehensive, accurate records.
  • Streamlining Systems and Celebrating Achievements: Enhancing technology interoperability reduces administrative tasks, allowing practitioners to focus on building relationships, while documenting youth accomplishments fosters positive identity and growth.

This participatory approach to recordkeeping offers a powerful shift towards more supportive and person-centered care documentation, highlighting the importance of youth voices and collaborative policymaking.

Keywords: Out of Home Care (OOHC), Youth participation

Orygen & Veritas House: Trauma-Informed Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for Out of Home Care

Presented by Dr Wilma Peters & Katrina Casaclang (Orygen), and Haylee Lepaio & Bronte Emanuel (Veritas House)

Orygen & Veritas House explored the trauma-informed Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model tailored for young people in care, focusing on employment and community engagement to support trauma-affected youth.

Key Insights:

  • Trauma-Informed, Tailored Support: The IPS model aligns employment opportunities with young people’s interests, providing continuous, individualized support to help them transition into stable employment.
  • Youth-Centered Approach: Actively incorporating feedback from participants enhances program relevance and engagement, fostering better outcomes for youth.
  • Community Partnerships and Resilience: Strong relationships with local employers and a focus on career resilience help build self-confidence and increase job placement success, with ongoing evaluation to refine and expand the program.

The impact of the model highlights the importance of employment support for youth in care that is trauma-informed. It also underscores the need for community partnerships, tailored guidance, and continuous evaluation to maximise program impact.

Keywords: Out of Home Care (OOHC), Trauma-informed practice

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