Providing Kinship Care in Australia

Our affiliate organisation,?Key Assets (Australia)?offers support to kinship carers. In their context, kinship care is where an extended family member or significant person in the child or young person's life becomes their carer, and it is often the preferred alternative care option if children or young people cannot be restored to their birth parents, which can happen for many reasons.

?Two carers supported by Key Assets Australia are Tim and Tammy, who care for their grandson Jason and another foster child David in South Australia. They came across Key Assets (after initially trying another agency), seeking specialist support as they struggled with the behaviour that David was showing.?

?Throughout their carer journeys, the couple has shown extraordinary commitment and dedication to these two boys. They have attended training, attended consistent care team meetings, and listened to feedback, as well as Tammy giving up her full-time job to be more present for the two boys in her care. This has come with a great deal of sacrifice for the couple, including financial loss, strained family relationships, increased scrutiny by both the child protection department and Key Assets, and grief and loss over their goals for retirement.?

?However, Tim and Tammy have done this without question and often without the wrap-around services they need. They have shared that while it's been a challenging journey, they would not change their decision as providing a safe and loving family for the boys brings joy and meaning to their lives.?

?One of the Social Workers who work with Tim and Tammy says,

"I deeply admire and have been awed at their resilience and dedication to giving these boys a loving home and a decent chance in life. These boys are both doing well, considering their levels of trauma and challenging behaviours. This is thanks to Tim and Tammy being textbook examples of the power of kinship care. They have now come across to Key Assets and are enjoying the levels of support that our agency provides them."

?To learn more about the support Key Assets Australia offers kinship carers, visit:?https://lnkd.in/eAb6Bv5n

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