Prioritising the wellbeing of children in care: A lived experience perspective

Being removed from home and placed in out-of-home care can be a distressing and confusing experience for children. They often don’t know why they are being removed and, in most cases, do not wish to be, even if their home life is unsafe. After the distress of removal, children enter a system that can distort their sense of identity, affect their ability to participate in decision-making and other important aspects of life, and erode their feelings of self-worth.  

With much research and focus on poor outcomes for children in care, it can feel as though these effects are inevitable. However, there are many opportunities for practitioners who have contact with children in out-of-home care to shift these outcomes, even in the face of a complex system like child protection. Understanding how identity, participation and self-worth are impacted for children in care and considering ways to support these elements can help support children with the things they need for their social, emotional and mental wellbeing while in care.  

In this episode, Nicole Rollbusch speaks with Melanie Renwick. Melanie shares her experience of living in foster and residential care as a child and some of the things that practitioners can do to support the mental health of children living in out-of-home care. Today, Melanie works for the Satellite Foundation as a family liaison and is mum to four children. She is passionate about ensuring the voices of lived and living experience are heard to help empower families and improve services.

In this episode, you will learn about:  

• the impact that living in out-of-home care can have on children’s mental health [02:49] 

• the importance of talking to children about why they are in out-of-home care [06:23]  

• the role of identity, self-worth and participation in the wellbeing of children in care [10:39]  

• why it’s important to look beyond behaviour to support children in out-of-home care [23:44] 

• how lived experience partners can make a positive impact on children in care and help support practitioners’ understanding of the mental health of children in out-of-home care [27:44]
   

Further information and resources:  

• Walking alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care [online course] 

• Supporting the mental health of children in out-of-home care [online course] 

• Looking after the mental health and wellbeing of children in out-of-home care [podcast] 

• A storybook approach to supporting children in care [podcast] 

• Out-of-home care: Talking about mental illness with children in your care [fact sheet] 

• Recognising and strengthening the stories of children in care [paper] 

• Engaging with parents who have children in out of home care: Key considerations [paper] 

• Child participation in child protection system decisions [paper] 

• Child-centred approaches to supporting children in out-of-home care [webinar] 

• Working alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care through a culturally safe framework [webinar]