Advice on rights and other legal matters for carers at the right time can make an enormous difference to permanency of care and a child’s life course.
Zara had been in Michelle’s care since she was born. At age six, Zara knew no other family, and no family members had been identified as appropriate carers, so a care order was progressing through the system to allow Michelle to become Zara’s permanent carer. However, before the care order came through, Zara’s case worker left. Her new case worker decided an intense family search was needed instead, and Zara was sent to live with an 87 year old grandparent in another state.
While in her grandfather’s care, Zara was sexually abused by another relative. Michelle was contacted by Zara’s aunt who told her Zara was unhappy, and that she belonged back with Michelle. Michelle contacted Heather at A Better Life For Foster Kids for help advocating to DHHS for Zara to be returned to her. Together they sought legal advice and DHHS returned Zara to Michelle’s care. Michelle cared for Zara until she was 10, helping her deal with the behavioural and psychological issues resulting from her abuse.
Zara was removed and placed with other relatives and then returned to Michelle’s care several more times after this, and never had permanency of care during her childhood. Legal advice was sought several times to help Michelle and Heather advocate during this cycle of removals, which was the only reason Zara got to return to the only parent she had ever known. However, the constant instability contributed to a pattern of running away from home and unsafe behaviours such as hitchhiking late at night.
The final time Zara was removed, Michelle found out she had terminal cancer, and asked for Zara to be allowed to visit her before she died. This was not deemed possible, however. Through Heather’s advocacy to DHHS, Zara was eventually allowed to attend Michelle’s funeral. Without knowledge of the system, Zara’s rights, and advocacy, Zara would not have been able to say goodbye to her carer.
Foster Kids and Carers United 