FISH has supported and participated in various research projects over recent years to explore what family inclusion looks like in child protection and out-of-home care. Findings have informed service and system reforms.
RESEARCH REPORTS
Conducted in 2021-22, this research explored family inclusion from the perspectives of parents, kinship and foster carers, adoptive parents, lawyers, and practitioners from DCJ, family support, and out-of-home care. They helped to better understand the complexities of family inclusion, the impact of inclusion and exclusion and possibilities for change. Findings strengthen existing evidence for fundamental change to child protection and out-of-home care practice and policy and emphasise significant power imbalances that disempower parents and families in child protection processes.
This is a presentation about research that we supported. It was conducted with parent peers during the PPSP in a series of focus groups. It explored their experiences as parent peers, what they gained from the role, and connections with their own experiences as parents involved in child protection and out-of-home care systems.
“No voice, no opinion, nothing” FISH parent leaders provided advice and support to researchers from the University of Newcastle and non government organisation, Life Without Barriers, to research the experiences of parents who have children in care. This research highlighted how hard parents work to continue to care for and parent their kids in care. The research report was launched on 21 February 2017 in Newcastle.