Support a child when there is a change in their care arrangement

‘Transitions’ is the word that is sometimes used to describe the change that occurs for a child when they come into care from their home, or when they move between care arrangements.

Some changes in care arrangements are inevitable due to difficulties in matching children and carers, previous harm reports, or the carers retiring or moving interstate.

How we describe changes to care arrangements may affect the emotions of the people involved. Naming it as a change in care arrangement rather than a breakdown of the care arrangement may help you, the child and the carer consider the positives and use the strengths present to manage the change for the child and carer.

Change generally involves both loss and opportunity. When a child enters care for the first time, or when a child already in care and moves to a new care arrangement, they are losing a familiar environment, their sense of home, and relationships. For some this separation can be a form of grief and can instil or exacerbate their instability and powerlessness. Studies have shown a link between this kind of instability and an increased risk of behavioural issues, depression and anxiety.  

There is no magic wand to make transitions less traumatic for children, utilise the child’s safety and support network to directly support them.  

The frequency of changes in care arrangements can be reduced if appropriate and meaningful support is provided to the care arrangement—both for the child and carer. One engagement strategy to help unpack the situation prior to deciding if a change is required, is to have the carer and child, and possibly the whole household, participate in The Family Roadmap.

This will support the carer family tell their story and reflect on what they want for their family and how they think they may be able to get there. This tool may help identify both the concerns and the strengths of the carer household and help the household to reach ‘life at its best’.

To  ease the trauma experienced during a change of care arrangement, consider sharing the following information with the child or young person:

• why they are in care
• what will happen to them while they are in care
• who they will be living with
• how long they will be living with the carers
• whether they will get to see their friends
• when they will see their parents and siblings again
• their health and education needs
• legal matters, such as pending court dates for either child protection or criminal matters
• living arrangements
• how they can stay safe
• using kicbox to keep in touch
• who they can tell if they are worried about anything.

Planned changes to a child's care arrangement

Participation by the child is key to success in any decision made about them. Participation helps children feel heard, empowered, informed and cared about while a significant change is occurring for them.  

Planned transitions for children are more likely to achieve better outcomes when the child has ownership of the plans and feels that their views and worries have been listened to, heard and acknowledged as important.

Important points to take into account in your planning include providing the child with:

• as much notice as possible of the upcoming change
• opportunities to participate in the decision-making process
• a voice when it comes to deciding what information about themselves to share with prospective carers
• opportunities to identify family and community members they may wish to live with (as kinship carers)
• breaks in the process to acknowledge their feelings and help them process their feelings.

Practical considerations to do with the availability of care arrangements, geography and financial resources often affect the timing of major transitions for children and young people. Keep the child or young person at the centre of the process and do whatever you can to meet the child’s needs for safety, belonging and wellbeing.

To ease the impact a change in care arrangement may have on children, maintain as much of the child’s life and routine as possible. For example:

• Facilitate time with their parents, siblings, extended family and other important people in their lives.
• Maintain connection to their pets and to places that are important to them.
• Maintain daily activities such as bedtime routines, favourite breakfast cereal, or favourite book or toy.
• Make an effort to find out about and maintain cultural traditions and special rituals important to the child.
• Find out about jobs or roles that are important to the child so these can continue into their care arrangement (such as tending to the vegetable garden).
• Consider plans so the young person can still attend their school and after-school job.
• Work with the safety and support network to involve them in planning and actions that support the child in their transition as much as possible.

Unplanned changes

Sometimes a child in care undergoes unplanned changes to their care arrangement. This instability can include circumstances, such as: 

• the premature ending of a care arrangement at the carers or service providers request, resulting in the need to move to another care arrangement
• the child or young person leaving of their own volition to an unknown location, or to live with family or peers.

Instability is also experienced by the child when there are insufficient carer or service providers able or willing to offer an continuing care arrangement for the child. This leads to the child being accommodated for time-limited periods in a succession of short-term care arrangements.

Where possible, minimise the number of changes occurring for the child at any one time.

This will involve careful planning, inclusion of the child, collaboration with parents and carers, advice from community members and a thorough assessment of the needs of the child.