Caring for a child through kinship care

Being a carer is full of challenges as well as rewards. Many of our carers will tell you that many of the challenges, when handled successfully, bring the greatest rewards that only relative and kinship care can create. Your caseworker is trained in these very challenges, and you must always contact your caseworker if any of these problems seem overwhelming. Relative and kinship care is about team work, and you should never bear these problems alone.

Challenges in care can include:

• caring for a drug addicted baby
• caring for a child or young person with physical or mental health issues, including depression
• caring for a child with behavioural or hygiene issues
• problems with the child and other children in the family
• caring for a child from a culturally and linguistically diverse background
• caring for a child with a disability
• problems with birth parents or friends and significant people in the child’s life
• caring for a child with a history of abuse
• caring for a child in trouble with the law
• caring for a child who discloses an unreported incident of abuse
• a child threatening your or your family’s personal safety
• a child suffering an accident or death
• a child wanting to leave your care
• relative and kinship care placement disruption
• relative and kinship care placement breakdown

Most of these challenges will bring stresses no matter how caring and well-prepared carers may be.

It is important that you talk to your caseworker about potential problems so you have realistic, rather than idealistic, expectations of the child or young person when you accept the placement. Never be afraid to contact your caseworker to discuss any concerns you have regarding your relationship with the child or young person.

As long as they are safe from harm, we may be able to provide additional support and strategies to enable the placement to continue and help resolve the problems.