Voices of mothers with empty arms: Separation and reunification issues experienced by mothers with alcohol and other substance use issues I cannot believe, that they can go in with an apprehension warrant and leave a parent sitting there with empty arms and a piece of paper saying ‘we apprehended your children’ That’s why I really want to do this interview, because things need to change big time. I don’t want anyone else to go through what I’ve gone through. It’s traumatic. I don’t want anyone else to suffer like that After you lose a child, you’re lost for a long time Going through this is the most disempowering experience of my life If we weren’t ready in 12 months, we would have lost her forever If I’d lost them until they were 18, I probably would have been dead myself A RESEARCH PROJECT INDUSTRY REPORT Prepared for the Commissioner for Children and Young People WA Funded by Edith Cowan University and the Commissioner for Children and Young People Professor Ruth Marquis (on behalf of Edith Cowan University School of Medical and Health Sciences Research Team) November 2017 Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... v Executive summary ................................................................................................................... vi 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Research team ................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Reference group .............................................................................................................. 1 2. Background ............................................................................................................................ 3 3. Research design and process ................................................................................................. 6 3.1 Research aim and questions ........................................................................................... 6 Ethics approval .................................................................................................................. 6 Interview questions .......................................................................................................... 6 3.2 Data collection ................................................................................................................ 7 3.3 Recruitment .................................................................................................................... 8 3.4 Participation .................................................................................................................... 8 3.5 Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 9 3.6 Limitations ..................................................................................................................... 10 4. About these mothers ........................................................................................................... 11 4.1 At time of interview ...................................................................................................... 11 Living and employment arrangements for children and their mothers ......................... 11 Mothers’ motivations ..................................................................................................... 12 4.2 Looking back .................................................................................................................. 12 Adverse life experiences ................................................................................................. 12 Little chance to develop good parenting skills ............................................................... 12 Concerns specific to Aboriginal mothers ........................................................................ 13 Limited support from family and friends ........................................................................ 13 Education levels .............................................................................................................. 15 Age at the time of their first child’s birth, ...................................................................... 15 Mother’s age when their child/children were placed in care. ....................................... 15 Relating substance use to parenting issues .................................................................... 15 Employment and finances .............................................................................................. 16 4.3 Looking forward ............................................................................................................ 16 Mothers’ ongoing commitment to their children........................................................... 17 Mothers’ determination and growth .............................................................................. 18 Mothers’ ambitions ........................................................................................................ 19 5. Key service providers (other than the Department) ........................................................... 19 5.1 Service relationships with these agencies .................................................................... 20 Waiting lists .................................................................................................................... 22 5.2 Interagency collaboration ............................................................................................. 22 6. Relationship issues with the Department ........................................................................... 24 6.1 Positive experiences regarding the Department .......................................................... 24 Early intervention ........................................................................................................... 24 6.2 Negative experiences regarding the Department ......................................................... 25 Lack of early intervention ............................................................................................... 25 Circumstances of child being taken into care ................................................................. 26 Adversarial relationships ................................................................................................ 27 Lack of concern for impact of child removal on parents ................................................ 27 Not supporting parents after removing their children ................................................... 28 Lack of information sharing ............................................................................................ 29 Negative expectations, interpretations and comments ................................................. 31 Trust issues - taking advantage of vulnerabilities ........................................................... 32 Arbitrary non-negotiable decisions ................................................................................ 34 iii Uninvestigated assumptions ...................................................................................... 36 Unreasonable requirements re support networks..................................................... 37 Unreasonable requirements re contact, appointments and urine analyses ............. 38 Shifting goalposts ............................................................................................................ 38 Failing to address mothers’ concerns re children in care ............................................... 40 Accountability issues....................................................................................................... 41 7. Justice system ...................................................................................................................... 42 8. Parent and child attachment ............................................................................................... 44 8.1 Impact of separation on parent-child attachment ........................................................ 44 8.2 Desire for ongoing information about child(ren) in care .............................................. 44 8.3 Contact with children in care ........................................................................................ 44 8.4 Settings for contact visits .............................................................................................. 46 8.5 Rebuilding parenting/sibling relationships after reunification ..................................... 47 8.6 Living in fear .................................................................................................................. 48 8.7 Admiration for child(ren) .............................................................................................. 49 9. Voices about the best way forward ..................................................................................... 50 9.1 Advice for mothers ........................................................................................................ 50 Hopeful, persistent & proactive support seeking ........................................................... 50 Find an advocate ............................................................................................................