Internationally, the prevalence of Indigenous children and young people from colonised nations who have been removed by the state and placed in out-of-home care (OOHC) is very high, and this trend is increasing. Despite this over-representation, the voices of Aboriginal children and young people are almost entirely absent from the narratives that surround practice and policy decision-making as this relates to their care. Research demonstrated that, when provided with opportunity, Aboriginal children and young people are highly competent in communicating their experiences and in contributing to discussions beyond their own care to issues of service provision and policy design. Active participation in the decisions that affect them positively impacts on their overall social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, while enabling their autonomy, growth in independence, sense of belonging and increased self-esteem.
This presentation will discuss the findings of a comprehensive review of available research literature on the voices of Australian Aboriginal children and young people in out-of-home care. Three key themes were identified in this literature, including: connection to culture, connection to family, and participation. It will also present preliminary data from a research project which engages Aboriginal children and young people in the exploration of OOHC experiences, and supports young people to engage in challenging the system, practices and embedded assumptions that leave Aboriginal children and young people, who are already struggling to feel physically and emotionally safe, at the mercy of a system that often does not offer cultural safety.
It highlights the need for culturally meaningful research that honours the citizenship, voice, and right of children and young people to be part of decision making. This research is being conducted as part of a Yarramundi Industry PhD in partnership with large NGO, Key Assets Australia.