Bibliography

Out of home care research

Australia. Department of Family and Community Services.
National plan for foster children, young people and their carers 2004-2006.
Canberra, ACT: Department of Family and Community Services, 2004, 5p, Online

In July 2004 the National Plan for Foster Children, Young People and their Carers was endorsed and released at the Community and Disability Services Ministers' Conference. The Plan aims to improve outcomes for children and young people in foster care. This document sets out the context of the Plan, its principles and scope, and in relation to training and research, lists details about key areas for action and proposed outputs.

Available from: Department of Family and Community Services, PO Box 7788, Canberra Mail Centre ACT 2610. Internet http://www.facs.gov.au

Barber, James; Delfabbro, Paul.
Children in foster care.
London, UK: Routledge, 2004, 228p, tables, figures

As a result of a lack of good information, practice myths with regard to foster care are often confused with practice wisdom. The authors call into question some popular beliefs about effective practice, and maximise the utility of their study data to address key issues, such as the effects of placement change, the relative importance of family contact, serial eviction of children in care, and differing child perspectives about what affects them positively and negatively. The authors also provide information on the views of workers and carers on outsourced care and the background characteristics of children entering foster care, and conclude with a section on myths in foster care.

Bromfield, Leah; Osborn, Alexandra.
Getting the big picture: a synopsis and critique of Australian out-of-home care research.
Melbourne, Vic: National Child Protection Clearinghouse, Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2007, 39p, (Child abuse prevention issues no.26), and Online
http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/issues/issues26/issues26.html

The 2005 report, 'Out-of-home care in Australia: messages from research', reviewed Australian research on out-of-home care to examine good practice and carer needs for Indigenous children. This current paper is an update and summary of that report, condensing the findings to examine the quantity and quality of research. It outlines what is known in the key areas of the characteristics of natural families when children enter care, outcomes for children and young people in care, the recruitment and characteristics of foster carers, reunification issues, participation of children and young people in decision making, leaving care, cultural considerations in out-of-home care placements and Indigenous carers, residential and specialised models of care, kinship care, and professional personnel.

Available from: Australian Institute of Family Studies http://www.aifs.gov.au/

Bromfield, Leah; Osborn, Alexandra.
Australian research investigating residential and specialised models of care: a systematic review.
Developing Practice: The Child, Youth and Family Work Journal no.20 Summer-Autumn 2008: 23-32

The Australian child protection system is facing increased pressure as the number of children and young people in out of home care continues to grow. This article provides a summary of trends in the provision of out of home care in Australia, including the declining use of residential care during the 1980s and 1990s and the current renewed interest in its ability to achieve positive outcomes for children in the child protection system. The article then reviews nine Australian primary research studies investigating out of home care. It summarises what is known about residential and specialised models of care for children and young people in Australia, assesses the quality of the evidence base and identifies future research needs. It finds that despite the relative absence of Australian evidence in this area, most Australian jurisdictions have implemented some form of residential or specialised model of care. However, none of these models has been rigorously evaluated to determine its impact on outcomes for children. The article concludes that Australian research is therefore unable to inform policy or practice about the essential components for intensive support services and models of care.

Available from: Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies http://www.acwa.asn.au/

Bullock, Roger.
Separation and return.
In: Knowledge into action! Effective practice for child and family services: proceedings of the 2004 Conference of the Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies. Haymarket, NSW: Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies, 2004, 10p, Online (Powerpoint as PDF 21K)
http://www.acwa.asn.au/Conf2004/acwa2004papers/14_Bullock_Separation.pdf

The effects of separation on children in care are outlined in this paper, which looks at research from 1986 to the present. It considers the effects of contact with the child's birth family, the child's best interests, children's preferences, outcomes, and research on children who have returned to live with relatives.

Available from: Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies, Locked Bag 13, Haymarket NSW 1240. Email acwa@acwa.asn.au. Internet http://www.acwa.asn.au/

Cashmore, Judy; Ainsworth, Frank.
Audit of Australian out-of-home care research.
Sydney, NSW: Association of Children's Welfare Agencies, 2004, 95p, tables

This audit, which covers the period 1995 - 2004, aimed to identify Australian out of home care research projects, assess gaps and duplication, place the research findings in an international context, and identify priorities for future research. This report covers the objectives and audit methodology; coverage, gaps and direction of identified research projects; and research funding and infrastructure. It identifies five crucial areas for development: a national research agenda; adequate research funding to boost the overall level of funding and to support more large scale projects; research centres to focus on linked research projects and encourage post graduate training; data collection facilities and access to individual case level data; initiatives to facilitate the translation, communication and implementation of research findings.

Available from: Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies, Locked Bag 13, Haymarket NSW 1240. Email acwa@acwa.asn.au. Internet http://www.acwa.asn.au/

Cashmore, Judy; Higgins, Daryl J; Bromfield, Leah M; Scott, Dorothy A.
Recent Australian child protection and out-of-home care research: what's been done, and what needs to be done?
Children Australia v.31 no.2 2006: 4-11

A research led reform strategy is urgently required in the field of child protection in Australia. A strong research base that is relevant to this country's needs, legislation and service systems is essential. Two recent audits of Australian research completed over the past decade - one on out of home care and the other on child protection - have highlighted significant gaps in existing research. A number of important topics have not been addressed, and there has been an over reliance on small scale, qualitative studies and a very low level of funding. This paper explores these gaps and identifies crucial areas for development, encompassing the development of a national child protection and out of home care research agenda; adequate funding for research, especially for multi site, cross jurisdictional studies; and closer collaboration between researchers, policy makers and practitioners to close the gap between what we know and what we do. (Journal abstract, edited)

Available from: Oz Child: Children Australia http://www.ozchild.org.au/

Cheers, Deirdre; Kufeldt, Kathleen; Klein, Ross; Rideout, Scott.
Comparing caring: the Looking After Children system in Canada and Australia.
Children Australia v.32 no.2 2007: 21-28

The Looking After Children (LAC) system is currently used in a number of countries world wide, providing increasing opportunities for international research collaboration. This paper describes early results of one such collaborative effort between Canada and Australia. The LAC system is a child-centred case management approach aimed at enhancing the developmental needs of children and young people in out-of-home care placements. Aggregation of data collected via the use of LAC allows policy makers to assess current practices in order to monitor and measure the extent to which intended program goals are achieved. (Journal abstract, edited)

Available from: Oz Child: Children Australia http://www.ozchild.org.au

Create Foundation (Australia).
In their own words: experiences of ACT children and young people in care.
Canberra, ACT: Create Foundation, 2004, 119p, Online (PDF 635K)
http://www.create.org.au/files/pdf/In%20Their%20Own%20Words%20ACT2004.pdf

This report documents consultations with eighteen children and young people in care in the Australian Capital Territory. The main aim of the consultations was to provide children and young people with a voice on their experience of out of home care in the ACT. The report provides details about the research methodology, a snapshot of the participants, findings about their experiences, and recommendations regarding the direction of processes and practices in out of home care for the future.

Available from: Create Foundation, PO Box 313, Strawberry Hills NSW 2101. Internet http://www.create.org.au/

Kelly, Susie.
The national child protection data collection: what do the data tell us?
In: Safety, Crime and Justice: from Data to Policy: conference papers. Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2005, 8p, tables, Online only (PDF 146K)
http://www.aic.gov.au/conferences/2005-abs/kelly.pdf

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has been responsible for collecting the national child protection data since 1993. This paper discusses the data contained in three collections: notifications, investigation and substantiation; children on care and protection orders; children in out of home care. These data are reported in the Child Protection Australia series and are used to measure outcome indicators for the Report on government services. The paper explains collection methods, impact of policies and procedures, trends in child protection notifications, trends in substantiations, and future directions in national child protection data.

Available from: Australian Institute of Criminology, GPO Box 2944, Canberra ACT 2601. Email aicpress@aic.gov.au. Internet http://www.aic.gov.au

Kristindottir, Gudrun.
Mosaic best describes experience of the young people speaking of foster care: on their life today.
In: Knowledge into action! Effective practice for child and family services: proceedings of the 2004 Conference of the Association of Children's Welfare Agencies. Haymarket, NSW: Association of Children's Welfare Agencies, 2004, 53p, tables, figures, Online (PDF 1011K)
http://www.acwa.asn.au/Conf2004/acwa2004papers/32_Kristinsdottir.pdf

This study aimed to investigate the perceptions in hindsight of young people who had been in long term foster care, and to test methods of participatory research. It discusses guidelines for practice, perspectives on care and which conditions are successful in long term foster care. It presents case studies of former foster care participants who fall into the following categories: resilient, insecure or rootless. It compares their experiences with alcohol and drug abuse, work or study, emotional well being, relations to carers and conditions of care. It also considers the importance of siblings and discusses relevant case studies. References are available separately.

Available from: Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies, Locked Bag 13, Haymarket NSW 1240. Email acwa@acwa.asn.au. Internet http://www.acwa.asn.au/

Mason, Jan; Gibson, Christine.
The needs of children in care: a report on a research project: Developing a model of out-of-home care to meet the needs of individual children, through participatory research.
North Parramatta, NSW: UnitingCare Burnside, and Social Justice and Social Change Research Centre, University of Western Sydney, 2004, 99p, and Online (PDF 408K)
http://www.burnside.org.au//content/The%20needs%20of%20children%20in%20care%20%2D%20June%2004%2Epdf

The aims of this collaborative action research project were to develop a holistic model of out-of-home care to meet the needs of individual children and young people through the participation of children and young people and other adult groups in the research and thereby decision-making about out-of-home care. The project took as its population the children and young people in Burnside's out-of-home care programs at the time the project commenced, birth parents, carers, workers and members of the Senior Management Team. The views of each group about the needs of children and young people are first examined, and then an integrated construction is presented, and commonalities and differences between stakeholder groups are discussed. Principles for policy and practice are suggested.

Available from: UnitingCare Burnside, 13 Blackwood Place, North Parramatta NSW 2151. Internet http://www.burnside.org.au

McHugh, Marilyn.
Current and future availability of foster carers.
Developing Practice: The Child, Youth and Family Work Journal no.12 Autumn 2005: 14-19

Recruitment and retention of carers and the challenging nature of children and young people in care is a recurring theme in the empirical literature on fostering throughout the western world. Drawing on a study conducted by researchers at the Social Policy Research Centre for the NSW Department of Community Services, this article reports on issues relating to current and future availability of foster carers, changing characteristics of NSW carers, demand for carers, why carers cease to foster, support and training for carers, positive and negative aspects of fostering.

Available from: Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies, Locked Bag 13, Haymarket NSW 1240. Internet http://www.acwa.asn.au

Moss, Michelle.
Listening to young people: daring to be different.
In: Building stronger families: Conference on International Research Perspectives on Child and Family Welfare, Mackay, Queensland, 6-8 August 2004: conference papers. Mackay, Qld: Centre for Research on Community and Children's Services, 2004, 15p, Online (PDF 63K)
http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/56368/20070824-0001/www.croccs.org.au/downloads/2004_conf_papers/040724PaperMichelleMossPUBLISH4%5B1%5D.doc.pdf

Queensland's Reconnect trial, which aimed to explore innovative ways to improve the care system with increased investment in early intervention and prevention, advocated for participation of children and young people in care on a macro and micro level. This paper describes the implementation of the trial by the Mackay Whitsunday region. It explores the action learning approach of the trial and the political, industrial, bureaucratic and emotional issues that affected the implementation of the trial in the Mackay Whitsunday region. It describes SPLAT (Super Participation Learning Action Team), which was created to support the active participation of children and young people in their care system. The paper includes comments from children and young people in care.

Available from: Mackay Centre for Research on Community and Children's Services, PO Box 1401, Mackay Qld 4740. Internet http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/56368/20070824-0001/www.croccs.org.au/index.html

New South Wales. Office of the Children's Guardian.
Information about conducting research involving children and young people in out-of-home care.
Parramatta, NSW: Office of the Children's Guardian, 2004, 8p, (Issues paper), Online only (PDF 138K)
http://www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/example-folder-5/CONDUCTING%20RESEARCH%20INVOLVING%20CHILDREN.pdf

Good practice when undertaking research activities with children and young people in out of home care is considered in this paper. The paper discusses consent and the release of information, the participation of children and young people in research projects, approval for research projects, general requirements when assessing a research activity, information required from applicants of a research proposal, principles of ethical research, respect for people, benefits for socially disadvantaged people or communities, and justice.

Available from: Office of the Children's Guardian, Level 6, 10 Smith St, Parramatta NSW 2150. Internet http://www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au

O'Brien, Andrew; Forsyth, Fraser; Patterson, Eileen.
Creating a focus on education in residential care.
In: Knowledge into action! Effective practice for child and family services: proceedings of the 2004 Conference of the Association of Children's Welfare Agencies. Haymarket, NSW: Association of Children's Welfare Agencies, 2004, 16p, Online (PDF 278K)
http://www.acwa.asn.au/Conf2004/acwa2004papers/22_O'Brien_UCB.pdf

Research indicates that education is one of the most important issues for young people in care. Hence, education has become one of the main areas of focus in all Burnside programs. This paper explains the role of Burnside's Education support worker and discusses the action based research method undertaken by the worker, collaboration with young people in the research process, the decentring of the role of staff, working with schools, homework, and achievements of the initiative.

Available from: Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies, Locked Bag 13, Haymarket NSW 1240. Email acwa@acwa.asn.au. Internet http://www.acwa.asn.au/

Osborn, Alexandra; Delfabbro, Paul.
Children with high support needs in Australian out-of-home care: A national comparative study.
In: Families Matter: 9th Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference, Melbourne, February 2005 - proceedings. Melbourne, Vic: Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2005, 4p, Online only
http://www.aifs.gov.au/institute/afrc9/osborn.html

Previous research by Barber and Delfabbro (2004) indicates that approximately 15-20 per cent of young people in Australian out-of- home care have significant emotional and behavioural problems that often condemns them to a life of repeated placement instability and further psychosocial harm. This paper reports the findings of a national comparative study of over 300 children (drawn from South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria), all of whom had experienced placement instability due to behavioural problems within the previous 12 months. The study examines their social and family background, psychosocial profile, service history, and current status in each of the care systems. The results provide an opportunity to document the similarities and differences between young people referred for services across the different States, as well as a vehicle for assessing the potential effectiveness and transferability of service responses. Taken as a whole, the results highlight the need for a more integrated national approach to the protection of children with high support needs in Australian out-of- home care. (Author abstract)

Available from: Australian Institute of Family Studies, Level 20, 485 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000. http://www.aifs.gov.au/

Paul Testro Consultancy Services.
Do no harm: towards good practice in protecting children and young people in out of home care from abuse and neglect.
Canberra, ACT: Create Foundation, 2004, 46p, Online (PDF 6.13MB)
http://www.create.org.au/files/pdf/abuse%20and%20neglect_report%202004.pdf

CREATE Foundation has undertaken a national project to promote good practice in preventing, identifying and responding to the abuse and neglect of children and young people in out of home care across Australia. This report outlines the approach taken in examining policy and research in relation to the abuse and neglect of children and young people in out of home care and the strengths and limitations of this approach; examines what is known about the harm of children and young people in out of home care; provides an overview of state and territory policies; identifies and discusses issues arising from current state and territory approaches using key elements of good practice; and offers suggestions for building on the outcomes of the project and moving toward good practice.

Available from: Create Foundation, PO Box 313, Strawberry Hills NSW 2101. Internet http://www.create.org.au/

Paul Testro Consultancy Services; Harvey, Jaydynne; Townsend, Michelle.
Australian children and young people in care: report card on health.
Sydney, NSW: Create Foundation, 2006, 36p, tables, figure, Online (PDF 1.7MB)
http://www.create.org.au/files/pdf/2006HealthReportCard.pdf

Information on the health needs of children and young people in care across Australia is presented. The performance of each state and territory in the following areas is examined: policy, health care planning, health programs and initiatives, collaboration, monitoring and review, and research. Information was requested from community services and health departments in each state and territory and a survey of 281 children and young people in care aged 10 to 18 years, about their views about their health needs and experience of health care planning, was conducted.

Available from: Create Foundation, Level 6, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000. Internet http://www.create.org.au

Taplin, Stephanie.
Methodological design issues in longitudinal studies of children and young people in out-of-home care: literature review.
Ashfield, NSW: Department of Community Services, 2005, 22p, Online (PDF 117K)
http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/docswr/_assets/main/documents/oohc_methodology.pdf

This literature review considers some of the methodological issues involved in undertaking a longitudinal study of children and young people in out of home care in New South Wales. It discusses: the rationale for a study of out of home care in NSW; improving outcomes for children and young people; a stronger evidence base for policy and practice; the use of a prospective longitudinal study design; major recent longitudinal studies, including large scale prospective studies in the United States, major national studies in Australia, smaller scale prospective studies and retrospective and case file review studies; design issues, including sampling design, response rates, sources of response bias, involving children and young people in care as research participants, increasing recruitment rates, retention of participants, using comparison groups, timing of data collection, data collection methods, analysis of the data and ethical issues; and recommendations from the literature about study design.

Available from: NSW Department of Community Services http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/

Thorpe, Ros; Chambers, Mary; Milosevic, Angela; O'Keefe Daly, Lynne; Klease, Chris; Westerhuis, Diane.
Building a team approach for ethical research in child welfare.
In: Building stronger families: Conference on International Research Perspectives on Child and Family Welfare, Mackay, Queensland, 6-8 August 2004: conference papers. Mackay, Qld: Centre for Research on Community and Children's Services, 2004, 18p, Online (PDF 56K)
http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/56368/20070824-0001/www.croccs.org.au/downloads/2004_conf_papers/040730RosThorpePUBLISH(nonrefereed)2.pdf

The experience of building a team approach for ethical research in child welfare is described in this paper. Part of the research project discussed is focused on identifying what makes a good foster carer and aims to investigate the views of stakeholders in foster care. The paper discusses how close attention to ethics was achieved; the importance of a team approach; and benefits of a team approach. The paper contains pieces from various authors and provides the perspective of research interviewers, a research assistant and interviewers.

Available from: Mackay Centre for Research on Community and Children's Services, PO Box 1401, Mackay Qld 4740. Internet http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/56368/20070824-0001/www.croccs.org.au/index-2.html

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