Kinship care advocacy groups, frontline practitioners, researchers and non-government and government stakeholders met at the Australian Human Rights Commission in Sydney on Thursday, 23rd August to begin mapping a blueprint for improving services, support and outcomes for kinship carers and the children they support. The Forum agreed that support for children in kinship care and their carers should be provided in a systemic way, noting the diverse pathways that bring them together, and strongly endorsed the need for public awareness and recognition of the significant role played by kinship carers. Additionally, a call was made for a national peak body to ensure that kinship carers and the children in their care have a voice. A range of practical suggestions also emerged, including: creating a carer hub where information and resources can be accessed and shared, collection of national data about children in both informal and statutory kinship care, the development of resources including financial resources and the provision of individualised packages to provide for children in care and for casework support, and creating a space for children’s voices. Read more on learnings from the Forum.
