Prosody Blog
Prosody is the pitch and tone of the human voice. It is the very essence of connection. Our blog hosts articles and stories dedicated to innovation, research and practice with children and young people.
NSW has a new government – here are six actions Labor can make to transform out-of-home care
‘NSW has a new government – here are six actions Labor can make to transform out-of-home care’ blog article was written by Kelly Royds, Head of Knowledge Mobilisation and Innovation at the Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care (CETC). The new premier, Chris Minns, and his team have promised a “fresh start” for NSW, and …
Read MoreNew report reveals NSW out-of-home care system under enormous strain
‘New report reveals NSW out-of-home care system under enormous strain’ blog article was written by Australian Childhood Foundation. The NSW out-of-home care is in deep crisis, with some of the most vulnerable children and young people in state care not receiving enough support or stability from the system they rely on. A report released by …
Read MoreAsked but not heard: The importance of listening to young people in out-of-home care
‘Asked but not heard: The importance of listening to young people in out-of-home care’ blog article was written by Kelly Royds, Head of Knowledge Mobilisation and Innovation at the Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care (CETC). “I have been asked. I don’t think I’ve been heard like 95% of the time” – Young person interviewed in …
Read MoreThe Story Of Their Life: Supporting young people in care to make sense of their world
This ‘The story of their life: supporting young people in care to make sense of their world’ blog article was written by Jennifer Gay, Team leader, with contributions from the wider Victorian Therapeutic Services team at the Australian Childhood Foundation. For many of the young people in Out-of-home care their lives have been characterised …
Read MoreChristmas Isn’t Always Fun for Kids in Care
This article was written by Noel MacNamara, Executive Manager, Research & Policy at the Australian Childhood Foundation and Deputy Director, Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care It’s all too easy to get wrapped up in the fun and happiness of Christmas and forget that, for others, the season isn’t necessarily a joyful one. For some …
Read MoreCreating safety through small acts of reconciliation
This blog article was written by Sue Buratti, Program Manager, Therapeutic Services, NSW. “At its heart, reconciliation is about strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples, for the benefit of all Australians”. (Reconciliation.org.au) OurSPACE is a new program in the NSW landscape. It was funded in October 2019 and started receiving …
Read MoreHelping kids with a history of prenatal substance exposure
Many of the children who enter into out of home care have a history of prenatal substance exposure. Some children will be born addicted and require hospitalisation as they withdraw from these harmful substances. However, some of these children do not experience withdrawal and present as a relatively healthy newborn. Irrespective of whether a baby experiences withdrawal, there are a number of long-term developmental and behavioural consequences often associated with prenatal substance exposure.
Read MoreIt Takes a Village – Shared Care – A place in out of home care
For practitioners working to support vulnerable children, young people and their families, a task is allocated to our collective endeavours whenever new evidence surfaces that has the potential to deepen our understanding of children’s needs and their experience of relationships. We are required to make sense of it, evaluate its relevance and ultimately, if helpful, make it count in our practice.
Read MorePermanency and Stability in Out of Home Care
We recently had the opportunity to submit to the Victorian Enquiry into the Implementation of the Children, Youth and Families Amendments (Permanent Care and Other Matters) ACT 2014 (Permanency Amendment Inquiry). In the submission, we highlighted our experience working with children placed in Out of Home Care in Victoria, as well as our strongly held belief that permanence promotes stability.
Read MoreResidential Care in Australia
There has been ongoing concern about the safety and quality of children’s experiences in Australia’s residential care systems for a very long time. The ABC Four Corners program that aired last week, 'Broken Homes', is another example of the concerns that have been expressed by many. We heard again about the lack of safety experienced by the young people and the failures in the system to support staff. The program raised many questions about child protection systems in Australia. This blog reflects on some of those questions.
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