The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing has transformed the way its Child Protection Kinship Engagement team operates.
The new, evidence-based model was designed to better support children to stay connected with family by securing strong kinship placements of extended family or known friends when they enter care.
Children unable to remain with parents were often placed in foster or residential care before potential kinship care options were identified.
This was despite research confirming that kinship care helps children maintain family, cultural, and community ties, reducing trauma and fostering lifelong support.
Two pilot programs in 2023-2025 showed providing kinship engagement services when children entered care, resulted in better outcomes for children. These include:
The pilot programs also showed an increase in the skill and efficiency of the Kinship Engagement Team, and their collaboration with Child Protection Practitioners, leading to strengthened child protection practice.
The two pilot programs were evaluated with input from Child Protection staff and carers.
Findings informed the new way of working. Children entering care now have kinship possibilities explored early and receive timely support for stable placements. Kinship carers now also benefit from faster and more effective support.
The transformed program has seen improved outcomes for children entering care.
Lucy had significant health and development needs and was in a kinship placement to her maternal aunt and partner for 3 months. These carers were unable to continue to provide care due to birth of their own child.
Through the early engagement of the Kinship Engagement Team, the aunt’s mother-in-law (who was known to Lucy) agreed to provide kinship care for Lucy. Lucy continues to have regular contact with her aunt and new cousin, as well as quality face-to-face time twice weekly with her mother.
Baby Oscar is an indigenous child who had been residing with his parents in rural Victoria when he came into care. His parents advised they had no family members in Victoria.
Following the efforts of the Kinship Engagement Team, Oscar has now been placed with his Aboriginal maternal grandparents in Queensland, who are Elders in their local Aboriginal community and who already had care of Oscar’s siblings. Oscar has now been reunited with his family in Queensland and will be able to grow up in the same household as his siblings.
In transforming their approach using evidence to reduce trauma and support family connection cultural-safety, this team exemplified our public sector values of accountability, leadership and upholding human rights.