To receive this publication in an accessible format phone 03 9096 7366, using the National Relay Service 13 36 77 if required. Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne. © State of Victoria, Department of Health and Human Services October, 2017. Except where otherwise indicated, the images in this publication show models and illustrative settings only, and do not necessarily depict actual services, facilities or recipients of services. This publication may contain images of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Where the term ‘Aboriginal’ is used it refers to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Indigenous is retained when it is part of the title of a report, program or quotation. ISBN 978-1-76069-031-1 (online/PDF) 978-1-76069-030-4 (print) Available at <https://services.dhhs.vic.gov.au/kinship-care> Printed by Waratah Group, Port Melbourne (1708017) Contents Foreword by the Minister for Families and Children 9 Foreword by Kinship Carers Victoria 11 1. About this manual 13 2. Rights and responsibilities 15 Charter for children in out-of-home care 15 Carers Recognition Act 2012 17 3. Kinship care 19 4. Your role and responsibilities 23 A nurturing home 23 Children and young people in your care 23 Challenging relationships and family dynamics 24 Providing day-to-day care 25 Making decisions 26 Obtaining official documents 30 Cyber safety 33 Privacy and confidentiality 33 Acknowledging and responding to different behaviours 35 When a child or young person leaves your care 40 3 5. Planning and decision making 43 Planning for the child or young person 43 Permanency objective 43 Case plans 44 Family-led decision-making meetings 45 Case management 45 Care teams 45 Looking After Children framework 47 Decision making and the Aboriginal Child-Placement Principle 47 Planning and decision-making timeframes 49 6. Financial support for kinship carers 55 Victorian care allowance and other financial support 55 Commonwealth Government assistance 58 7. Support for kinship carers 61 Supervision and support 61 Support services 61 Looking after yourself 63 Carer Advisory Groups 65 8. Contact with family members 67 The importance of contact 67 Contact arrangements 68 How you can support contact 69 What to do if contact is difficult 70 4 Manual for kinship carers 9. Aboriginal kinship care 73 Aboriginal culture 74 Cultural safety 76 10. Caring for children and young people with diverse needs 79 Caring for children and young people from diverse cultural backgrounds 79 Children and young people with a disability 81 Same-sex attracted, gender diverse or intersex children and young people 86 11. Education, training and employment 89 The importance of education 89 Early childhood education and care 90 Schooling 96 Initiatives that support school students in out-of-home care 99 Allowances and exemptions 102 Student Support Services 104 Supporting students with additional needs 105 Discrimination and bullying at school 106 Post-school opportunities, TAFE and university 108 Employment assistance 110 12. Health 113 The importance of health 113 General health and wellbeing 113 Aboriginal health 117 Maternal and child health 118 5 Immunisation 118 Dental care 121 Eye and ear care 122 Medication 123 After-hours medical attention 124 Urgent medical attention 124 Sexual and reproductive health 125 Mental health 128 Alcohol and other drug treatment services 130 13. A safe home environment 133 Ensuring a safe environment 133 Creating a safe home and environment 134 14. Young people transitioning to independence 137 Planning for independence 137 Leaving care services 139 15. Child protection, the Children’s Court and the Family Court 143 The role of child protection 143 The role of the Children’s Court 143 Attending Children’s Court hearings 145 Children’s Court processes 147 Voluntary involvement with child protection 148 The Family Court 148 Getting legal support and advice 149 6 Manual for kinship carers 16. Responding to critical incidents 151 Crisis support 151 What to do during a critical incident 152 Sexual abuse and sexual assault 153 Sexual exploitation 154 Grooming 154 Sexual assault services 155 Responding to a disclosure of sexual abuse 155 17. Reportable conduct scheme 157 Kinship carers and the scheme 157 Reportable conduct 157 The role of the Commission for Children and Young People 158 The process for a reportable conduct allegation 158 18. Feedback, complaints and compliments 161 Feedback, complaints and compliments explained 161 How to raise feedback, provide a compliment or make a complaint 162 19. Client Incident Management System 165 Introduction 165 Client Incident Management System 165 Support and assistance 166 20. Glossary and acronyms 167 Glossary 167 List of acronyms 175 7 21. Information sheets 177 Information sheet 1. Types of out-of-home care 177 Information sheet 2. Questions to ask when a child or young person is placed in your care 179 Information sheet 3. Responding to a disclosure of abuse 181 Information sheet 4. Privacy and photographs 183 Information sheet 5. Case planning, case management, roles and responsibilities 185 Information sheet 6. The impact of caring and looking after yourself 193 Information sheet 7. Aboriginal culture 197 Information sheet 8. Education support 207 Information sheet 9. Age-appropriate sexual behaviours 211 Information sheet 10. Child Safe Standards and Reportable Conduct Scheme 217 Information sheet 11. Key contacts 221 My Contacts 225 8 Manual for kinship carers Foreword by the Minister for Families and Children The Victorian Government understands the challenges that many kinship carers face when taking on the important role of providing a secure and stable home for a child or young person, and creating committed relationships. For this to happen, kinship carers need to be equipped with the right training and support to help children and young people overcome the traumas associated with abuse and neglect, and to strengthen their connections to family, As a kinship carer, you play a crucial role in culture and identity. supporting the development and wellbeing That is why the Victorian Government has of vulnerable children and young people invested in the development of a manual living in out-of-home care. Kinship care is the for kinship carers, which is designed to be a preferred placement option for these children valuable information tool to assist you in your and young people, because it minimises role. It will help you to navigate through the disruption to a child or young person’s life, child protection system, and provide you with gives them strong and resilient relationships, information about child protection processes, and ensures that they can maintain their financial and other support available to you connection to family networks. and the children and young people in your care, Kinship care has the highest proportion and important resources. of children and young people living in The manual was developed in consultation out-of-home care placements. Often, children with Kinship Carers Victoria, the Centre for and young people who enter a kinship care Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, the arrangement have experienced considerable Commission for Children and Young People, upheaval or adversity before they come to be the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency, cared for by you, their family member, friend or Victorian Government staff, kinship care service community member. providers and kinship carers. I have often said that kinship carers have This manual is just one of the ways we are my greatest admiration for the devotion to improving access to support services and the children in their care, often in traumatic information that will be useful to you. The circumstances. 9 Carer KaFE: Kinship and Foster Care Education the care of Aboriginal children and young was launched in April 2017 and will improve people in the child protection or out-of- and expand carer knowledge by providing home care system to Aboriginal Community access to face-to-face training, online Controlled Organisations. learning, accredited training opportunities Aboriginal Children in Aboriginal Care is a new and conference attendance sponsorship. program that enables the Secretary of the In 2016, we also announced further flexible department to authorise an Aboriginal agency funding for kinship carers to access support to undertake specified functions and powers in for extraordinary expenses such as medical relation to a protection order for an Aboriginal related expenses, transport and child care. The child. Giving Aboriginal communities greater government is also providing better support to responsibility over the safety and protection kinship carers by boosting the capacity of the of vulnerable children is an important step peak state body, Kinship Carers Victoria. towards improving the wellbeing and cultural I am committed to ensuring that children connection of Aboriginal children who are across Victoria grow up safe and healthy, and involved with child protection. achieve the best possible outcomes. To this We understand that being a kinship carer end, the Victorian Government’s Roadmap requires an enormous commitment, both for Reform: strong families, safe children is physically and emotionally. By providing a strengthening services that support children, loving and caring home, you play a crucial young people and families. The Roadmap is a role in building positive opportunities and once in a generation reform that will reorient