The Catholic Weekly 8 November 2020

catholicweekly.com.au 4 NEWS 8, November, 2020 Helping build a brighter future for children and families in crisis. Dunlea Centre 35A Waratah Road Engadine NSW 2233 Phone 02 8508 3900 AUSTRALIA'S ORIGINAL BOYS' TOWN A place for change... www.dunleacentre.org.au SEE OUR LATEST JOBS Call Katie (02) 9390 5402 | www.catholicjobsonline.com.au Find the Career you Deserve NEW RESEARCH from the Australian Catholic University will improve supervised con- tact visits between children in foster care and their birth par- ents with payoffs in the well- being of the children and all involved. Parental cancellations, no- shows and negative experi- ences during visits cause chil- dren living in out-of-home care unnecessary distress, says lead researcher Associate Professor Stephanie Taplin. Such events can also dis- rupt the relationship between the child and their new carers. The research, published in international journal Child Abuse & Neglect , led to the de- velopment and trial of a new model in which birth parents are supported before and af- ter their supervised contact visits. Under the model parents cancelled fewer visits with their children who had been removed from their care by child protective services. It has also resulted in out- of-home care caseworkers being more receptive to fam- ily contact and parents more satisfied with their visits. With almost 20,000 chil- dren aged 17 and under living in out-of-home care in NSW alone, the findings have the potential to unlock significant long-term social and eco- nomic benefits both in Aus- tralia and overseas. “A parent whose child has been removed from their care often lacks good parenting skills and role models, and they are given lots of hoops to jump through without any support,” said Associate Pro- fessor Taplin. “When they cancel their contact visit it’s often not be- cause they don’t want to see their child, but because they ¾ ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues Research improves life for foster children Associate Professor Stephanie Taplin: a new model of parental visits benefits children in foster care. find the experience distress- ing and they can’t cope, and that’s when things start to go wrong. “We decided to go down this track because we ob- served that contact visits would take place with key workers who act as the super- visors sitting and observing what happens without provid- ing any support or feedback. “It seemed like a wasted opportunity and a huge cost to the system without know- ing if the visits made things better or worse.” Research has shown the importance of contact visits in helping to maintain the child’s relationship with their birth family in order to de- velop a positive personal and cultural identity. Associate Professor Taplin said the visits are an impor- tant contributor to the wellbe- ing and development of chil- dren who have been removed from their birth parent. It is hoped that about 45,000 children in out-of- home care and their birth parents will benefit from the kContact Practice Model. Under the model, key case workers contact the birth par- ents before and after each visit to provide them with support by clarifying concerns and ex- pectations or providing prac- tical and emotional support for the next visit. Workers said the kContact Model improved their rela- tionships with parents, with the benefits overflowing to children and their carers. The ACU study is the larg- est to date to test the effective- ness of contact intervention in the out-of-home care context and addressed a gap in avail- able evidence about how best to manage contact visits. ACU’s research was con- ducted with University of Mel- bourne and 15 out-of-home- care agencies in Victoria, ACT and NSW with children aged up to 14 in long-termcare who had regular supervised con- tact with at least one parent. The project is a joint initi- ative between the Australian Catholic University’s Insti- tute for Child Protection, the University of Melbourne, and government and community partners. In brief Brisbane prayers remain THE BRISBANE City Council has refused to bow to pressure to cease traditional Christian prayers at the beginning of council meetings. The council received petitions both supporting and opposing the tradi- tion but decided in favour of keeping prayers in con- tinuity with the wishes of over 1300 Brisbane locals who petitioned to contin- ue the practice. “Prayers at the start of Council meetings main- tain a longstanding, in- offensive practice that is part of our legal and cul- tural heritage,” said the Australian Christian Lob- by's Queensland director and petition organiser Wendy Francis. “Queensland and Aus- tralian heritage has been decisively and irrevoca- bly shaped by a Christian ethos, which continues to foster our free, compas- sionate and prosperous democracy.” “Long may councillors be reminded before every meeting to forgive, treat others as they would be treated themselves, and to put others’ interests ahead of their own.” Brisbane Catholic, Joseph Melville of Mary Immaculate Parish con- gratulated the Council’s decision. “I think it’s great that the Brisbane City Coun- cil have decided to keep prayer as part of its ses- sions. Australia is a coun- try that was founded on Christian values and principles, and we ought to acknowledge the great impact this has had on our society,” he told The Catholic Weekly. Immediate Care: A few days, often at short notice Part Time Care: A few days, overnight or regular week- ends to give long-term carers a break Short-term Care: From a few months’ duration to two years until a child can safely return home, or is placed with a long-term carer Long-term Care: May be until a child reaches 18 years or a Guardianship or Adoption Order is granted from foster care Kinship Care: Where children are looked after by a relative when they cannot remain at home TYPES OF CARE NEEDED ¾ ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues When they cancel their contact visit it’s often not because they don’t want to see their child, but because they find the experience distressing.” Associate Professor Taplin