University to lead project supporting families in kinship care

SOUTHERN Cross University will lead a project in collaboration with local family support groups to assist children living in kinship care.

The project will receive almost $580,000 over the next three years under the Australian Research Council with SCU professor Lynne McPherson at the helm.

It is part of a six-year partnership between the Australian Childhood Foundation, Out-of-Home Care and SCU.

It aims to give vital insight into how to nurture connection, safety, and stability for children and young people raised by relatives and extended family.

Across Australia, more children now live in kinship or relative care than in any other form of out-of-home care.

“This is an unprecedented opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of children and young people living in kinship care, most often with their grandparents,” professor McPherson said.

“We want to better understand what belonging looks and feels like for these families, and how systems can work alongside them to create the conditions for safety and lifelong connection.”

Mcpherson is also the chair of Out-of-Home Care and the deputy director of the Centre for Children and Young People at SCU.

A key partner is CASPA Services for child and family welfare services, who are based at Coffs Harbour, Lismore and Tweed where SCU has all three of its campuses.

The project will co-design practice-ready solutions drawn directly from the voices and experiences of children, young people, and their carers.

The project aims to inform national policy and strengthen the systems that hold kinship families together.

Australian Childhood Foundation CEO Janise Mitchell said the research highlights the power of family and the importance of recognising what keeps children connected.

“Every child deserves to grow up feeling they belong. Kinship care keeps children connected to family, culture, and love, but it also comes with challenges that too often go unseen,” she said.

“This project will shine a light on what helps families stay strong and what systems need to do better.”