Foreword by the Minister for Families and Children As a kinship carer, you play a crucial role in supporting the development and wellbeing of vulnerable children and young people living in out-of-home care. Kinship care is the preferred placement option for these children and young people, because it minimises disruption to a child or young person’s life, gives them strong and resilient relationships, and ensures that they can maintain their connection to family networks. Kinship care has the highest proportion of children and young people living in out-of-home care placements. Often, children and young people who enter a kinship care arrangement have experienced considerable upheaval or adversity before they come to be cared for by you, their family member, friend or community member. The Victorian Government understands the challenges that many kinship carers face when taking on the important role of providing a secure and stable home for a child or young person, and creating committed relationships. For this to happen, kinship carers need to be equipped with the right training and support to help children and young people overcome the traumas associated with abuse and neglect, and to strengthen their connections to family, culture and identity. That is why the Victorian Government has invested in the development of a manual for kinship carers, which is designed to be a valuable information tool to assist you in your role. It will help you to navigate through the child protection system, and provide you with information about child protection processes, financial and other support available to you and the children and young people in your care, and important resources. The manual was developed in consultation with Kinship Carers Victoria, the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, the Commission for Children and Young People, the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency, Victorian Government staff, kinship care service providers and kinship carers.
Foreword by the Minister for Families and Children As a kinship carer, you play a crucial role in supporting the development and wellbeing of vulnerable children and young people living in out-of-home care. Kinship care is the preferred placement option for these children and young people, because it minimises disruption to a child or young person’s life, gives them strong and resilient relationships, and ensures that they can maintain their connection to family networks. Kinship care has the highest proportion of children and young people living in out-of-home care placements. Often, children and young people who enter a kinship care arrangement have experienced considerable upheaval or adversity before they come to be cared for by you, their family member, friend or community member. The Victorian Government understands the challenges that many kinship carers face when taking on the important role of providing a secure and stable home for a child or young person, and creating committed relationships. For this to happen, kinship carers need to be equipped with the right training and support to help children and young people overcome the traumas associated with abuse and neglect, and to strengthen their connections to family, culture and identity. That is why the Victorian Government has invested in the development of a manual for kinship carers, which is designed to be a valuable information tool to assist you in your role. It will help you to navigate through the child protection system, and provide you with information about child protection processes, financial and other support available to you and the children and young people in your care, and important resources. The manual was developed in consultation with Kinship Carers Victoria, the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, the Commission for Children and Young People, the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency, Victorian Government staff, kinship care service providers and kinship carers.