Doing better with children with a disability in family services and out of home care
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The document summarizes research conducted by OzChild on children with disabilities involved in their family services, home-based care, kinship care, and other programs. The research found that 42% of children in these programs had a disability, with communication difficulties and developmental delay being most common. Many children had multiple disabilities or environmentally-based disabilities related to their family circumstances. The research highlights the need for programs to intervene early and allow more time and funding to support children with disabilities and their families.
Doing better with children with a disability in family services and out of home care
- 1. building and protecting futures Doing better with children with a disability in family services and out of home care by Gaye Mitchell and OzChild staff
- 2. building and protecting futures OzChild Caring for Victorian children for 160 years. Multi disciplinary and culturally aware programs to strengthen the potential and life opportunities of children/young people. Informed by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and evidence about what strengthens healthy child development.
- 4. building and protecting futures OzChild programs involved in the research project. Home Based Care Kinship Care Family Services Community VCAL (Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning) Registered Training Organisation (RTO) Certificate in General Education Disability Services
- 5. building and protecting futures Method Snapshot examination of all caseloads in six program areas January – March 2012. Spreadsheet – 42 questions – on all children with a disability. Sample of 20% of these children: data on nature of disability, challenges, barriers, & outcomes. Total of five case studies of children with the most serious disability in five program areas.
- 6. building and protecting futures Outline of presentation Brief summary of research findings. Findings about environmentally-based disabilities. Discussion.
- 7. building and protecting futures Research Findings 200 out of 475 children (42%) had a disability. Kinship Care: 29% Family Services: 29% Foster Care: 44%
- 8. building and protecting futures Huge array of types of formally diagnosed disability – 4 programs Type of disability Disability Services Family Services Home Based Care Kinship Care Total number of children Communication Difficulties 30 4 12 8 54 Developmental Delay 4 4 16 9 33 Mental Illness 3 2 9 3 17 Intellectual Disability 32 1 12 2 47
- 9. building and protecting futures Huge array of types of formally diagnosed disability – 4 programs (2) Type of disability Disability Services Family Services Home Based Care Kinship Care Total number of children Autism 30 3 6 2 41 ADHD 6 1 16 5 28 Speech Delay or Disorder 0 3 9 8 20 Autism & ID 18 0 2 0 20 Complex physical disability & ID 14 0 5 0 19 Cerebral Palsy 11 0 3 1 15
- 10. building and protecting futures More Research Findings 81% of children had a formally diagnosed disability. Half the children had more than one disability. 56 of 200 children were not achieving educationally.
- 11. building and protecting futures Further Research Findings 57% of children had family members with a disability. 49% of the children in out of home care had experienced placement breakdown. In half of these cases, disability was a factor in the placement breakdown.
- 12. building and protecting futures Findings about environmentally-based disabilities 40-50% of the children in Family Services, Foster Care and Kinship Care had environmentally-based disabilities.
- 13. building and protecting futures Proportion of environmentally-based disabilities in 3 program areas 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Family Services Foster Care Kinship care Other children with a disability Informally Diagnosed, Environmentally based Formally diagnosed, Environmentally based
- 14. building and protecting futures To prevent environmentally-based disability Focus on families with intergenerational involvement in child protection. • Social security, affordable and secure housing, education and training, and opportunity to earn income. • Program models specifically designed for their needs. • Program models with greater length of time and intensity of service.
- 15. building and protecting futures When prevention has failed Intervene early and effectively to reduce environmentally-based disabilities and their effects. Allow workers more time for children and families with disability. Provide more funding for children with trauma- induced disabilities. Provide more funding for children with a disability in Kinship Care.
- 16. building and protecting futures Discussion How to do better for children with a disability in our services. Full Research Report and Policy Briefing Paper http://www.ozchild.org.au/research Also see published article: Children Australia / Volume 39 / Issue 02 / June 2014, pp 107 – 118