Inside Australia's broken state care system, and the fight to fix it | Compass

The Devastation of Out-of-Home Care [0:07]

• Over 40,000 children are forcibly removed from their families and placed into state care.
• Survivors describe the system as worsening their conditions, with constant threats and a desire to go home.
• Some children experience up to 20 placements, a situation described as setting them up to fail.

  "I was getting worse when I was in the system. I was constantly under threat and all I wanted to do was go home."

Personal Accounts of Systemic Failure [0:36]

• Individuals recount experiences of abuse, including being beaten and threatened, after removal from their homes.
• Lachlan was removed at 10 and placed in residential care, facing threats of violence and mistreatment.
• The lack of emotional connection and the inability to form relationships with caregivers is highlighted.

  "As soon as I went into the residential care system, I was threatened to have my skull bashed in."

The Battle for Custody and Mental Health [1:43]

• Lachlan's father fought for custody for five and a half years due to an abusive home environment.
• After gaining custody, Lachlan was diagnosed with PTSD and psychosis, leading to violent outbursts.
• Seeking mental health support for Lachlan led to FACS reporting and his eventual removal from his father's care.

  "The father was calling up, asking about mental health supports because his kid was suffering from PTSD after an abusive situation."

The System's Impact on Parents [3:19]

• Parents seeking help for issues like domestic violence can have their children removed, with this help used against them.
• The system is designed to shame parents, eroding their self-belief and silencing their voices.
• Children's voices are even more suppressed within this environment.

  "A lot of the time they're removed because of lack of support around the parent or the parent going out and seeking help and that being used against them."

Emily's Journey Through Foster Care [4:45]

• Emily grew up in out-of-home care from age nine, experiencing multiple foster placements and trauma.
• She endured sexual assault and significant emotional distress, questioning her reality and worth.
• After aging out of the system, she faced homelessness and instability before finding secure housing and employment.

  "I think by the time I turned 18, I was sexually assaulted by nine different men."

The Rise of Relational Care [7:09]

• A movement is emerging that advocates for a care system based on attachment and relationships, not just bureaucracy.
• This model emphasizes the importance of connection, love, and knowing that children can return to supportive adults.
• Safety is seen as stemming directly from connection and understanding a child's world.

  "If we want to keep children safe, the best way to keep them safe is to spend time with them, understand their world."

Therapeutic Approaches and Lived Experience [9:07]

• Jared Wheatley founded Professional Individualised Care (PIC), placing children with therapeutic carers.
• Cody Brady, a PIC foster carer, highlights the positive changes seen in a young person from a residential facility.
• Steph uses horses for therapeutic support, mirroring trauma responses and building trust through non-judgmental interaction.

  "What that young person needed was just someone to show up for them repeatedly and go, Hey, I got you."

Rebuilding and Advocating for Change [14:38]

• Emily utilized EMDR therapy to reprocess trauma and triggers, enabling her to process her past.
• Bernie Shakeshaft's organization, Backtrack, provides a safe haven called Warra for young people in their program.
• The focus is on belonging, relationships, and creating a safe space where young people feel supported and can thrive.

  "We've worked with a lot of young people in out-of-home care over the years, but we take a different approach to it, and that is one of belonging."

Systemic Reform and Future Vision [17:21]

• Emily and Lachlan are sharing their experiences with stakeholders and politicians to drive reforms.
• They advocate for a "child connection system" that supports families rather than solely focusing on removal.
• The goal is to redesign the system around principles that encourage relationships over bureaucracy, empowering young people with lived experience.

  "We have a new social contract, both on a program level for relational care models that are operating on the ground, but also at a systemic level for redesigning the system around new principles that actually encourage relationships rather than just bureaucracy."

The Cage-to-Cage Report and Lasting Impact [19:02]

• The "Cage-to-Cage" report, featuring testimonies from young people in out-of-home care, has driven calls for reform.
• The report highlighted the detrimental impact of constant moves and isolation on mental health.
• Emily and Lachlan's work aims to ensure no child has to endure such trauma, with a focus on creating a system where children have homes and feel safe.

  "The cage-to-cage report was the experiences in out-of-home care. I talked about the places that I lived, the serious detrimental impact on mental health and the isolation that comes with being constantly moved to hotels and motels."