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December 2015 Newsletter - Foster carer retention and support

Divisional Carer Advisory Groups

FCAV member prizes to be won...See page 3 for details and be quick!Email: competition@fcav.org.au with your details or call the FCAV on: 9416 4292.

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Inside this edition:In brief page 2

Carer competitions page 3

Carer Information & Support Service page 4

IFCO Conference page 5

Retention projects update page 6

Foster care initiatives update page 7

Grief and Loss Training page 8

Foster carers with Katie Hooper, CEO, Foster Care

Association of Victoria, and Minister for Families and Children, Jenny Mikakos.

As we have outlined in previous communications, the pledge by the Victorian Government to commit to better engagement and support for carers has led to the Foster Care Association working in collaboration with Department of Health & Human Services on five projects designed to improve the carers’ fostering experience. There is also a focus on carers having a greater input into new and better ways to deliver Out of Home Care (OOHC) in Victoria. Work is progressing on delivery of these initiatives (see page 6) including the Carer Advisory Groups. The preliminary Carer Advisory Group information sessions were held late November/early December 2015. Expressions of Interest are now open to carers who may wish to join the Divisional Carer Advisory Group in their district. We encourage your participation and for you to share your experience as a carer to help build a better OOHC system.

Expression of Interest - Get your form in!Go to: http://www.fcav.org.au/news/new-initiatives-to-improve-carers-fostering-experience or obtain an application from: Kim Colvin, Project Manager, Foster Care Association at k.colvin@fcav.org.au or by phone on 03 9416 4292.

Be quick!

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In brief...Becoming a member of the FCAV? - As soon as you lodge a membership application form, the Foster Care Association take it to the next Board Meeting for approval. Once approved you become a voting member of the Association. Remember to check with your agency to ensure they have lodged an application on your behalf, and if not, follow the link to applications: http://www.fcav.org.au/membership/join

Is Your Child Ready for the New School Year? - If you have a child in your care starting or returning to early years education in 2016, this site may be a useful resource for fun activities to get them started.http://www.education.com

Project Bounce - Do you know a young person in Melbourne who has lived in foster, kinship or residential care? The Bounce project through Orygen, the National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health is looking to recruit a team of young people, aged 18-25 years, who have had some personal experience of living in care, and who are interested in mental health. They will work one-on-one alongside a team of mental health practitioners delivering training and support to community agencies and will help staff build their skills and confidence to help young people still in care with their mental health and wellbeing. For more information, contact: Jade at Orygen on mobile: 0421 173 574.

2015 has been a big year for foster care in Victoria, which has seen growth in the recognition of the challenges faced by foster carers, the children in care and the foster care system as a whole. While we have been heartened by this recognition and the important injection of funding into project-based improvements to support carers, there remain some significant gaps in the needs of fostering families. The vox pop that we ran at the Carer Celebration Event in September indicated the areas of most concern to carers. Carers were asked to put up their thoughts on our knowledge tree, which would be shared with policy makers. Over 90 comments were made, over 25% in relation to fair recompense and almost the same number of concerns regarding agency relationships or Department of Health & Human Services issues. View the full list of comments here: http://www.fcav.org.au/images/documents/TreeFCKnowledge140915.pdf

It is these voices which then feed into the Foster Care Association’s objectives for the year ahead. We are well placed to make strong approaches for change, focusing attention on those areas. Please follow the progress of our Retention Projects (see page 6).

I want to thank all of you, the carers who have been involved in this year’s successes and challenges. Have a safe and restful break if you get one and I look forward to working with you in 2016.

From the CEO

Katie Hooper, Chief Executive Officer, FCAV

CISS Hotline: (03) 9416 4292

Are you a carer? Do you have questions about your role? Are you having issues you need to discuss with someone? Your calls help us to identify the key issues affecting carers across Victoria, strengthening our advocacy in the Out of Home Care sector.

FCAV is funded through the State Government of Victoria and is grateful for the support of agency subscribers.

Cultural Support WorkerCultural Support Worker, Betti Gabriel is available to assist carers with information specific to caring for children and young people from diverse backgrounds. Caring for a child from a different culture to your own? Call Betti on: 9416 4292

Lookout Education Support Services - See link for information in relation to a new initiative supporting children and young people in Out of Home Care with their education. www.education.vic.gov.au/about/educationstate/Pages/lookout.aspx

Churchill Fellowship Presentation by Anita Pell - Follow the link to a wonderful monograph written by Berry Street’s Anita Pell for the Churchill Fellowship Anniversary gathering recently. Anita is also presenter of our free carer training, “Life after Loss: Its effect on the developing child and you” (see pg 3 and pg 8 for details).Go to http://joom.ag/VT0p

Passports information: Planning an overseas trip in 2016? - FCAV reminds carers about the potential difficulties and delays with obtaining passports for children or young people in their care. FCAV has a comprehensive Passports Information Sheet available on our website. Go to: http://www.fcav.org.au/carer-resources/information-sheets - located under the Legal section.

Beyond Good Intentions Launch - The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare launched the “Beyond Good Intentions” at their AGM in late November 2015. http://www.cfecfw.asn.au/news/2015/12/beyond-good-intentions

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Carer Competitions and Invitations

Jim’s Mowing Vouchers... FCAV Carer Members to win!

What is certain over the school holiday period is that every foster carer household could use some help around the house or garden. We have $200 Jim’s Mowing vouchers to give away to four (4) carer member families, valid for any of their franchises throughout Victoria. To be in the running to win a voucher, please email by Monday 11 January, 2016 with the subject header “Jim’s Mowing voucher” and in the body of the

email tell us how help with a clean up will impact your household. Don’t hesitate to enter if this is for you and be quick!

Please include your name, address and current contact phone numbers to: competition@fcav.org.au or call us on: 9416 4292. Please email your name, home and/or mobile phone numbers, home address, and your agency to: competition@fcav.org.au or call the Foster Care Association office on: 9416 4292.

For Carer members

Grief and Loss Training... As foster carers, you have opened your hearts and homes to children in need. Often you have accepted a child who has many issues to deal with and you have taken on the large task of teaching them to trust, love, care and become responsible or independent by patterning such behaviour. You may or may not have developed close bonds. The end of a placement can be heart wrenching for you, your family and the child in care. There is no way that separation can be made easy and painless and many times the associated feelings are not acknowledged and worked through.

The Foster Care Association is facilitating free training across 13 locations in Victoria, “Life After Loss: Its effect on the

developing child training and you”. We encourage all foster carers to arrange to attend one of the sessions on offer (see back cover).

To complement the training, we are offering one foster carer member the opportunity to win a copy of Dr Vera Fahlberg’s book ‘A Child’s Journey Through Placement’. To be in the running to win a copy, please email by Monday 11 January 2016 with the subject header “Child’s Journey” and in the body of the email tell us how you take care of your family, yourself and the foster child, to counter the feelings of loss and grief because the placement is ending or has ended? Please send your name, home and/or mobile phone numbers, home address, and your agency affiliation to: competition@fcav.org.au or call the Foster Care Association office on: 9416 4292.

Save the Date! National Foster and Kinship Care Conference 2016 in the Northern Territory

Right: The Foster Care Association’s contingency at the recent IFCO Conference. Express your interest for the National

Conference 2016.

Want to join the Foster Care Association of Victoria’s contingent at the 2016 National Foster and Kinship Care Conference? The NFKC Conference is being held from 9-11 June, 2016 at the Darwin Convention Centre, Northern Territory.

Go to link below for the Conference website and express your interest! The Foster Care Association is looking forward to attending with carers next June. http://fostercarersnt.org.au/2016-conference

A weekend in Mansfield... FCAV is delighted to offer a weekend getaway at Portillo Lodge, Mt Buller! Find out more at: http://mtbulleraccommodation.co/. The prize will accommodate a family of up to 10 people for up to three nights.* You will need to bring and prepare your own food to cook. To be in the running to win, please email by Monday 18 January, 2016 with the subject header “Weekend in Mansfield” and in the body of the email tell us about your last family holiday.

(*Dependant on availability and not including ski season). Further details available in response to entry.

Please include your name, address and current contact phone numbers to: competition@fcav.org.au or call us on: 9416 4292. Please email your name, home and/or mobile phone numbers, home address, and your agency to: competition@fcav.org.au or call the Foster Care Association office on: 9416 4292.

Be quick towin!

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Carer Information and Support Service (CISS)

A glimpse inside CISS advocacy: Carer enquiry about entitlementsThe Carer Information and Support Service (CISS) aims to provide current information to carers on all areas of fostering. The financial realm is often difficult to navigate but it is essential that carers are aware of the resources that can assist them regarding financial matters.

CISS was contacted by a foster carer who explained that the young person in her care was preparing to leave care. The carer was wondering what impact this would have on the Family Tax Benefit which she had been receiving from Centrelink. The carer was provided with FCAV’s Centrelink Entitlements Supplement which provides a summary of all potential entitlements that carers may be eligible for: http://www.fcav.org.au/images/carer-resources/information-sheets/Centrelink_Entitlements_Supplement_2015.pdf

In addition to this information the carer was given contact details for the Centrelink Grandparent Advisor who provides advice to grandparents and other carers (including foster carers) with full-time caring responsibility for children.

Grandparent Advisors can help carers by:

- understanding family circumstances and

- providing information and access to Centrelink payments and services

- arranging appointments for carers with Centrelink’s specialist staff, such as social workers

- arranging referrals to other federal, state and community service providers who may also be able to help carers.

Carers can speak to a Grandparent Advisor directly by calling 1800 245 965. (Free call)

Carers living outside the local area where Grandparent Advisors are based can still get help and support by calling the number above. If you have an issue or inquiry you’d like to discuss with CISS, please don’t hesitate to call 9416 4292.

Education Supplements: Centrelink EntitlementsWhile we’re all entering holiday mode now, the next school year will be upon everyone very quickly. With this in mind, FCAV will soon have updated versions of our Centrelink Entitlements and Education Supplements information sheets available on the FCAV website at:http://www.fcav.org.au/carer-resources/information-sheets.

It is important to note that the Commonwealth Government is currently exploring some changes to Centrelink entitlements, however, any changes to these will be dependent on the Senate passing legislation to enable such changes. FCAV is following the political debate closely and encourages carers to raise their concerns with their local member of the House of Representatives and the Victorian Senate.

Carer Information and Support Service: Hours over holiday periodCISS will be closed from 2.00 pm on 24 December, 2015 until the FCAV office reopens on 5 January, 2016.

Should any carers encounter issues during this time, we urge you to seek assistance from your agencies and contact us from January 5, 2016 onwards. Have a happy and safe festive season. We look forward to working with you in 2016.

Have you prepared a Leaving Early Plan for each child in care regarding your location and what evacuation arrangements you have planned during bushfire season? This information is especially important for carers who are taking children on holidays to areas considered to be at potential risk.All foster and kinship carers should have now completed Leaving Early Plans with their agencies who then forward these on to Department of Health & Human Services. If you’ve not completed one of these plans, contact your agency and request that your worker complete this with you as a priority.Don’t forget to keep your agency up to date about any travel plans you make during this summer season.For carers living in, or visiting, high-risk areas, it is essential to have a clear bushfire plan as advised by the CFA. The CFA offers very sound advice regarding bushfire preparation at: www.cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/your-bushfire-plan including information on Fire Ready Kits, Bushfire Plans, Leaving Early, Pets and Bushfires and Back Up Plans. Department of Health & Human Services also has some very useful advice and information on the website: www.dhs.vic.gov.au/for-individuals/crisis-and-emergency/preparing-for-emergencies/bushfire-preparedness

Bushfire Season – Be Prepared

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I recently had the pleasure of attending Cultural Competence Training at Baptcare. The guest speaker was Jatinder Kaur, a cultural diversity consultant in Queensland, specialising in working with culturally

and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.

I have included links to her study on Cultural Diversity and Child Protection, as well as the CFECFW and CWiMe study she contributed to.

• http://www.jkdiversityconsultants.com.au/Cultural_Diversity_&_Child_Protection_Kaur2012_A4.pdf

• http://www.cfecfw.asn.au/sites/default/files/Scoping%20Research%20Study%20on%20Number%20of%20CALD%20and%20Refugee%20Children%20and%20Young%20People%20in%20OOHC%20in%20Victoria.pdf

The aims of the Cultural Competence Project FCAV is conducting are in line with the recommendations made in these studies.

Children from CALD backgrounds in OOHC have additional needs, such as remaining connected to their culture of origin.

Cultural Support ProjectFCAV believes that CALD children in care should be supported to maintain links with their culture, religion and language. This in turn will foster a more positive sense of self, identity and pride in their heritage.

What can carers do to assist with this?

Carers need to be culturally aware. This includes:

• understanding their own feelings, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours towards people from the child/young person’s cultural or religious background

• understanding the unique needs of the child/young person in relation to his/her cultural, linguistic and/or religious heritage

• recognising that the child/young person may be experiencing cultural confusion, conflict and/or change, and may require ongoing support

For more information, please follow this link to our website: http://www.fcav.org.au/carer-resources/cultural-resources or refer to the FCAV information sheets on Cultural and Linguistic Diversity, or contact Betti, Cultural Support Worker by email: b.gabriel@fcav.org.au

Betti Gabriel

IFCO Conference 2015FCAV was pleased to be represented by staff, Board Members and carers at the recent International Foster Care Organisation (IFCO) Conference, “Tell Someone Who Cares” held in Sydney last month. The conference provided over 1000 delegates with many opportunities for carers to share their stories and to be inspired by speakers from across the world. Presentations by CISS Coordinator, Leigh Hillman, and FCAV Board Member, Gail Walton, were well received and it was great to see Victorian carers attending and a range of presentations by Victorian agencies. Special thanks must be made to the Department of Health and Human Services for funding a number of carers’ attendance the Conference. The Department’s support each year is invaluable and greatly appreciated. Carers who received assistance to attend IFCO 2015 were thrilled to have this opportunity. We’ll have a more detailed wrap up of the Conference in our February 2016 newsletter, including some great feedback from the foster carers who attended with FCAV. http://www.ifco2015.com/

Quotable Quotes

3

“My worker is too

bureaucratic”.

“I’m old enough to be this worker’s

mother”.

“I never see my worker. She doesn’t return my calls”.

“The worker expects me to do everything”.

“The worker always takes the parents’ side of things”.

“The carer doesn’t follow the case plan”.

“The carer is biased against the parents”.

“The carer expects me to do everything”.

“The carer is too attached to this child”.

“I haven’t enough time to respond to everything the carer wants”.

At right and above: Leigh Hillman, CISS Coordinator delivering her well-received

presentation at IFCO 2015

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Following the overview of the Divisional Carer Advisory Groups update on the cover, work is progressing on the other four initiatives being managed by the Foster Care Association as outlined below:

Foster Care Manual - The current Home Based Care Handbook is to be updated so that carers have easy access to information required to care for children in OOHC. We have had several discussions with carers in conjunction with Department of Health & Human Services and the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare to progress through the development stages of the Foster care manual project. If you have any interest or ideas on the development of the new manual contact: Kim Colvin, Project Manager, Foster Care Association by email: k.colvin@fcav.org.au or by phone: 03 9416 4292.

Foster Carer Training and Support - Training for carers is important and new training initiatives are being considered.

Standardised Feedback and Complaints Mechanism - Developing a more consistent standardised complaints system across the sector.

Engagement StrategyImproving the carers’ experience of care planning and decisions relating to children in their care is the key focus of this initiative.

We look forward to bringing you further updates in early 2016. Please follow the link to our website for regular updates on these initiatives over the coming months:

Foster Care Retention Projects Update

www.fcav.org.au/news/new-initiatives-to-improve-carers-fostering-experience

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As Foster Care Association members, you will be aware from our recent communications to you, that there are a number of initiatives underway to improve the experience of foster carers and to secure more foster carers in Victoria to provide safe, welcoming homes for children and young people. The Foster Carer Attraction and Recruitment Project is an industry developed and led initiative aimed at getting more foster carers into the system, especially carers from diverse backgrounds. Twenty-six Victorian foster care agencies are working together to promote foster care, establish best practice guidelines and encourage a more streamlined approach to attracting and recruiting carers.The project is well underway, with a formal launch expected in early December.You can expect to see a new brand - Fostering Connections: Opening Hearts, Opening Homes over the coming months with a media campaign on radio, newspapers and online throughout Victoria.Our existing carers are the mainstay of our industry and the

Carers have an important role to play in case planning. Carers have unique insight into the needs and behaviours of the child they care for which can help child protection and agency staff make informed decisions about a child’s future. Carers can contribute to case planning by providing agency and child protection staff with information about the child, and by participating in care team meetings and case planning discussions.

Amendments to the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 (the Act) are due to come into effect on 1 March 2016. As well as making changes to the court orders for children in need of protection, including those in Out of Home Care, the amendments make changes to case planning. Some carers have asked what changes will be made to case plans and how they can participate in case planning.

To promote the best interests of the child, it is currently a legislative requirement that child protection prepares and regularly reviews a case plan for each child following the making of a protection order. Under the amendments, case planning will occur much earlier, following an investigation, if a decision is made that a child is in need of protection. This is called the substantiation decision.

The case plan will set out the objectives for a child, and the significant decisions made by child protection to keep a child safe and promote their development. To prepare a case plan, a meeting is often held between child protection, the child (where appropriate), and the parents to discuss the child’s needs and what parents need to do to address the protective concerns. Section 11(b) of the Act states where a child is in Out of Home Care, the child’s caregiver should be consulted and given an opportunity to contribute to the decision-making process. Other professionals may also be involved in the case planning process.

A child will have a single case plan which will be reviewed at least annually and earlier if the child’s circumstances change significantly. The child and their family are always given the case plan.

Each case plan will have what is called a “permanency objective”. For most children in Out of Home Care the permanency objective will be to return to the care of a parent. However, for a smaller group of children, a permanent kinship or other home-based care placement will be needed to ensure their safety and wellbeing.

For Aboriginal children in Out of Home Care the child’s case plan will include cultural planning to maintain and develop a child’s Aboriginal identity and connection to their Aboriginal community and culture.

If you want to know more about the case plan in place for a child in your care, please contact your agency and ask for information.

Permanency for children – changes to case planning

Attracting and Recruiting Foster Carers in Victorianew campaign will highlight to the broader community the important and essential work foster carers undertake every day. Your support and feedback is essential to the success of the campaign which is why we have established a Foster Carer Working Group to review and advise on the project and ensure your voices are heard.Central to the project will be a 24 hour Hotline for new enquiries and a central website to assist those thinking about foster care with their decisions about which agency and type of foster care is best for them. The new sector-wide brand has been developed following extensive consultation and testing with the general community, existing carers and foster care agencies and we will be updating you on activities as we roll out the campaign.We look forward to updating you on Fostering Connections over the coming months. Should you have any questions or wish to discuss the project please contact Virginia Henshall, Stakeholder Manager at Virginia.Henshall@cfecfw.asn.au or phone 9094-3511.

www.fcav.org.au/news/new-initiatives-to-improve-carers-fostering-experience

Life After Loss:Its effect on the developing child and you

An interactive session that will help you to better assist grieving children and young people, by reflecting on grief as a process, and improve awareness of your own grief journey.

LEARNING OUTCOMES • Understand the impact of loss and grief on the children in your

care, on you, and others around you• Consider your role in the recovery of children affected by loss

and grief• Recognise vicarious trauma - trauma that has transferred to you• Appreciate the theory about attachment trauma, loss and grief

SUITABLE AUDIENCE• Carers & staff from foster, permanent, residential, adoptive and

kinship care• Child protection workers• Teachers/teacher’s aides/student welfare/wellbeing professionals

PRESENTERS

Anita Pell has over 30 years’ experience in out-of-home care and understands the system. With considerable experience in Policy Development and Program Management, Anita has a strong commitment to service delivery enhancement and has been involved in a number of sector working groups.

Andrew McCausland has over 25 years experience designing and delivering training and education programs in Government and community settings. Andrew has extensive experience in home based care and youth support programs.

FREE to carers and staff from host agencies.

Visit www.fcav.org.au or contact your agency for more information.

If you can’t get to a session in your area, contact FCAV to register for another location.

Single day session, held between school hours.

Hold the Date

Host agencies Anchor Foster Care, Anglicare & St Luke’s Anglicare, Baptcare Family Services, Barwon Child, Youth & Family, Berry Street, Brophy Family and Youth Services, Gippsland & East Gippsland Aboriginal Cooperative, Key Assets, Life Without Barriers, MacKillop Family Services, Mallee Accommodation & Support Program, Mallee District Aboriginal Services, Mallee Family Care, OzChild, Quantum Support Services, SalvoCare Eastern, Salvation Army Westcare, Uniting Care Gippsland, Uniting Care Werribee Support and Housing, Upper Murray Family Care, Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency, Wesley Mission Victoria, Wimmera Uniting Care.

DATE ORDERGippsland (Traralgon venue) 2 March 2016South Metro (Keysborough venue) 9 March 2016East Metro (Ringwood venue) 19 April 2016Shepparton 21 April 2016 North Metro (Eaglemont venue) 3 May 2016

West Metro (Sunshine venue) 5 May 2016Wangaratta or Wodonga (tba) 10 May 2016Mildura 12 May 2016Warrnambool 17 May 2016Geelong 19 May 2016