Aboriginal Kinship Care: understanding the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal children, young people, and their carers
This study aims to examine Aboriginal children, young people, and carers’ experiences of kinship care in Victoria. This includes the types of healing and therapeutic practices integral to Aboriginal-led kinship care that strengthen the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal children and young people and their carers. This study will privilege the voices of lived experience in Aboriginal-led kinship care, including young people, carers and those working as professional practitioners in the sector, many of whom may also have a personal lived experience of the kinship care system.
The overall aim of this research is to build new evidence based and practice informed knowledge to promote best practice in an Aboriginal-led kinship care model.
What is already known?
Victoria has a higher rate of Aboriginal children and young people being placed on care and protection orders than any other jurisdiction in Australia. This data has led to renewed calls and efforts for Aboriginal community controlled organisations to be given greater control and decision-making over Aboriginal children needing out of home care, with the expectation of achieving better outcomes. According to the Annual Report of the Victorian Commission for Children and Young People, more Victorian Aboriginal children are being taken away than during the stolen generations period. For Aboriginal families and children, the losses and damage associated with child removal include a fragmentation of family relationships and connections to culture. This in turn can have profound impacts on the social and emotional wellbeing of families that are passed down to the next generation.
What does this study add?
This research will address a major gap in current evidence regarding Aboriginal-led kinship care and family reunification programs. Drawing on a decolonising methodology and community-based participatory methods, this study will be informed by a Community Advisory Group comprising community members with experience in Aboriginal Kinship Care including carers, Aboriginal young people with experience of leaving care, as well as Aboriginal Kinship Care practitioners.
What’s next?
This doctoral research will examine Aboriginal children, young people, and carers’ experiences of kinship care. This will include the types of healing and therapeutic practices integral to Aboriginal-led kinship care that strengthen the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal children and young people and their carers.
About the artwork
The Artist
Troi Isley is a young Aboriginal Wemba Wemba woman who is an informal kinship carer.
The Artwork
This artwork shares traditional and contemporary practices that are important in supporting and nurturing Aboriginal children in kinship care.
The coolamon is located in the middle which is a traditional carry tool used to carry bush tucker as well as to nurture and keep babies safe and to symbolise birthing. Surrounding the coolamon represents how caring for children has occurred naturally for tens of thousands of generations and has been the responsibility of many, not just the immediate family. This remains important for families and kin to come together to support and rear children.
The digging stick is a tool used to dig food from the ground which symbolises the importance of nourishing children and also as a tool to provide a resting place for children. The Journey lines with circles that surround them represents the services that are available. It’s not an accurate number because there are more to be developed and highlights the importance of services working together and connecting to support families and children.
On the outside are boomerangs representing culture and strength so that whilst children are going through any separation from families, they are able to keep connected to their culture as a source of strength as they go through this process. Gum leaves are used a lot for cleansing and ceremony, and this is an important healing process as a time to go forth with good energy and start healing. One of the gum nuts is blooming in the leaves, reflecting the importance of growth as children get older. The line work in the background of the artwork is a homage to Troi’s mother as this style of art has been passed down to her daughter, representing land and water and the importance of taking care of children from different countries.