International Forum for Child Welfare

1. International Forum forChild Welfare Learning life skills in care Tanya Vella Team Leader Lead Tenant Service www.mackillop.org.au

2. Learning life skills in care • MacKillop Family Services: • Formed in 1997 - Sisters of Mercy, Christian Brothers, Sisters of St Joseph • Leading provider of services for children, young people families • Melbourne, Geelong, Western Sydney and Wollongong • Provided of Home Based and Residential Care, Disability services, Refugee services, Education and Training • Support to women and men who, as children, were in the care of our founding agencies

3. Learning life skills in care Child ,Youth and Families Division of the Department of Human Services, data estimates approximately 400 young people between the ages of 16 and 18 years exit their Custody to Secretary Order or Guardianship Order for the last time in any one year (DHS 2009). Just sit back for a minute, close your eyes and visualize yourself as a child completing chores around the house. What were you doing? How old were you? Who was supporting you with the task?

4. Learning life skills in care • Encouraging and supporting the development of a child or young person’s independent living skills is critical • This commences on the day that they enter into our care • Various levels of support depending on individual child or young person • Stein (2004): young people in out of home care  have to cope with the additional challenges of major changes in their early lives in a far shorter time than other young people. • Young people transitioning from out of home care have compressed and accelerated transitions to adulthood

5. Learning life skills in care • What is known is that young people exiting state care have been represented in the groups of the most disadvantaged in the community, especially in the group of chronic homeless.

6. Learning life skills in care • 2009 survey of 471 young people aged 15 to 25 years in care or who had left care conducted by the CREATE Foundation • 64 percent did not have a leaving care plan; • 35 percent were homeless in the first year of leaving care; • 46 percent of boys were involved in the juvenile justice system; • 35 percent completed Year 12 • 29 percent were unemployed (compared to the national average which is 9.7 percent); and • 28 percent were already parents themselves. (FaHCSIA)

7. Learning life skills in care • MacKillop has adopted a range of innovative approaches to support young people in their preparation for leaving care: • Lead tenant housing model • Cluster housing model • The “Way Out There” living skills training program • MacKillop Kitchen Rules • Learn Right, Drive Right • Transition Plan Templates

8. Learning life skills in care • Lead tenant housing model • Supporting 16 to 18 year olds experience of semi-independent living • Provide a safe, stable, caring and supportive living environment • Opportunity to practice independent living in a shared household • Assist with transition to independent living arrangements • Live in volunteers who act as positive role models and mentors

9. Learning life skills in care Cluster housing model In September 2010, MacKillop were successful with a tender to run the Cluster Demonstration model within the Southern region of Melbourne and also Barwon.

10. Learning life skills in care The “Way Out There” living skills training program • This program provides support and training to young people aged from 15 years and above living in all of our out of home care services in developing the skills needed when exiting care. • It covers training and other activities covering drug and alcohol awareness, rental property management, budgeting, household maintenance skills, first aid, safe driving and car maintenance , safe sex and cybersafety. • As part of the program young people receive items such as Melways, first aid kits, fully stocked tool kit and L plates. Way Out There

11. Learning life skills in care MacKillop Kitchen Rules • MacKillop Kitchen Rules promotes positive change and bringing together a community through food, • In addition to teaching young people in care independent living skills and team work skills. • MacKillop Kitchen Rules is a competition that young people from five residential units participated in. • Young people were encouraged to create a menu, a theme for the night and a three course meal. The teams were encouraged to be as creative as they wanted, and with that flexibility came some amazing results.

12. Learning life skills in care Learn Right, Drive Right MacKillop’s Barwon region has recently launched the Learn Right, Drive Right Program. • The program, which will provide young people preparing to leave MacKillop’s care with the driving skills they need to be safe on the road • Generous support from the Honda Foundation with the donation of a car In addition, MacKillop Family Services has an vehicle use policy which is inclusive of young people’s needs who are learning to drive. • This policy gives young people an opportunity to drive a MacKillop vehicle provided that they have had three professional driving

13. Learning life skills in care Transition Plan Templates • Transition Plan templates have been developed by MacKillop to ensure that young people that formally leave care are adequately prepared and can care for themselves upon leaving care. • Transition planning is the cornerstone of ensuring that young people have the best opportunity to be as prepared for their transition from care as possible. Only 31.7% of eligible young people report having a leaving plan. Create report card 2011

14. Learning life skills in care It is evident that preparation for leaving care commences as soon as a child or young people is placed in our care regardless of whether it is residential care, lead tenant or foster care. Each individual needs to be guided with a plan, mentored and encouraged in order to thrive, given that this is their basic human right. It is our responsibility as a care system to uphold this right and not abdicate responsibilities of public parenting.