Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
The other Kinship CarersMeredith Kiraly, Research Fellow
University of Melbourne BASPCAN Congress, Edinburgh,
2015
Terms of Reference included:◦ How to better acknowledge & recognise the
contribution of grandparent families
◦ Practical challenges circumstances & support needs
◦ Legal issues
◦ Diverse groups incl. Indigenous & CALD families
◦ Measures to provide better support.
◦ Other issues of relevance.
Australian Parliament Senate Inquiry Grandparents raising Grandchildren 2014
38% of children in kinship care (England) cared for by a sibling carer without help from older household member
About 28% of sibling carers were born outside the UK Over half the brothers were partnered (60%) Most (93%) sister carers were single 43% had no qualifications Most sibling carers were parenting more than one child
(average 2) 19% of sibling carer households were overcrowded Most either unemployed or in low paid occupations.
Spotlight on kinship care
Big Bruv Little Sis research projectRoth, Lindley et al. (2011)
Family Rights Group, London Literature review Internet survey Interviews
Young kinship carers
I think Richard finds it extremely hard now …they have a really good relationship but there are times when Richard doesn’t want to discipline him any more. He just wants to be his big brother and have fun with him. (Big Bruv Little Sis)
On the day that my Dad died I had a phone call from my sister…I told the children to get some stuff and come to my house. On the way I spoke to my Mum on the phone…and she hung up on me and then she texted me saying: “I don’t want them – you look after them”.
(Big Bruv Little Sis)
Big sister
When Mum was alive I used to always go over there and take them gifts and they just remembered me as a loving sister, but when I took them on I became a terrible monster! I was really stressed out with a lot of things. We’ve had a lot of tears, a lot of arguments.
I’ll get “You’re my sister, not my mother, you can’t tell me that.”…now it’s not as bad as it was….I’m still learning every day how to deal with my sisters….It was me on my own for such a long time and then to have two young girls, everything just changed.
(Big Bruv Little Sis)
Big sister
Estimate prevalence of young carers (30 and under)
Explore carers’ and children’scharacteristics and support needs
Alert policymakers and community to the issues.
Census analysis
Survey
Interviews: young carers & young people
Focus groups: staff working with young carers.
Young and ‘care-full’: The support needs of young kinship care families
A hidden population - publicity and promotion will be difficult.
Young &‘care-full’: the challenge
I think it is a bit more complex for those who are not family – such as myself.
Family Links survey of statutory (‘looked after’) kinship carers, Victoria Australia, 2010
Non-familial kinship care (‘friends’, ‘kith’)
Studies in Sweden & Canada showed breakdown rate higher in non-familial care. (Sallnas, Vinnerljung et al, 2004; Perry, Daly et al, 2012).
In the Family Links survey, one-fifth (20%) of respondents were non-familial kinship carers.
Non-familial kinship care
This experience has been great, I never planned to be a carer. But having met the young lady on many occasions before she picked us to stay with made a big difference in her fitting in with our family. We are lucky, she is a lovely young lady and we are happy to support her for as long as she needs. (Family Links)
Mother of child’s friend
The young person was someone who lived in the area. I only knew her to say hello to, before she became homeless and then moved in with me.
(Family Links)
Family friend?
Explore the characteristics and support needs of non-familial kinship carers.
Alert policymakers and community support services to the issues.
Survey of non-familial
kinship carers
Interviews with support
workers, non-familial
kinship carers and young
people
Focus groups with kinship
care support staff.
‘It takes a village’: The support needs of non -familial kinship carers
Anne: Providing Family Day Care for then 15 day old girl. Brothers started with me 10 weeks later. Children placed with me 3 months after baby started FDC. Parents disappeared. Dept contacted me when fourth child born. (3 children have intellectual disabilities)
Lisa: I work as a chaplain at a secondary college and the young person needed somewhere to live. I offered for the young person to stay with me until something more permanent could be sorted, she has now been with us almost 5 years.
Survey snapshots
Access to childcare similar to grandparent access would be valuable
Would have liked training in dealing with trauma impact (I got it wrong and any training I accesses, I paid for as well as childcare while I attended and loss of income.)
Don’t rely on the Department. Learn! Learn! Learn!
I wouldn’t give them up for the world. My future plans changed when the children
came.
Comments from Lisa….
Roth, D., B. Lindley, et al. (2011). Big Bruv Little Sis: Research findings on sibling carers raising their younger sisters and brothers. London, Family Rights Group.
Nandy, S., J. Selwyn, et al. (2011). Spotlight on kinship care: Using Census microdata to examine the extent and nature of kinship care in the UK at the turn of the Twentieth century. Bristol, University of Bristol.
Sallnas, M., B. Vinnerljung, et al. (2004). Breakdown of teenage placements in Swedish foster and residential care. Child and Family Social Work 9: 141-152.
Perry, G., M. Daly, et al. (2012). Placement stability in kinship and non-kin foster care: A Canadian study. Children and Youth Services Review 34: 460→
Kiraly, M. and C. Humphreys (2014). "‘It’s about the whole family’: family contact for children in kinship care." Child and Family Social Work Early View.
Young and ‘care -full’ ‘It takes a village’
More information available, comments welcome to:
Meredith Kiraly [email protected]
Comments, questions?
