Journal article

'It's about the whole family': Family contact for children in kinship care

M Kiraly, C Humphreys

Child and Family Social Work | Published : 2016

Abstract

Contact with family for children in care is identified as a right under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. However, such contact often presents challenges because of the protective concerns that have led to care arrangements being made. The Family Links: Kinship Care and Family Contact research study explored the nature and extent of family contact in kinship care, with a particular focus on the circumstances that create positive contact and foster family relationships. Findings included evidence of a large proportion of parental contact that was negatively affecting children's well-being, and was sometimes unsafe. By contrast, the frequent contact that children were e..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Funding Acknowledgements

The authors thank the kinship carers who, on top of their demanding lives, gave time to complete the survey and attend focus groups and interviews; and also the community service organizations that provided access to caregivers. The study was financially supported by the Victorian Department of Human Services and Office of the Child Safety Commissioner, the Federal Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) and the Ross Trust.