I have been working at Allambi for nearly 15 years, and a lot of people have asked what drives me, what keeps me motivated and energised? That’s easy, the people and the families that I have met along the way. They have shaped me into who I am today and shown me that with a motivation to change and grow, and a great deal of resilience we can achieve many things. Amongst the Allambi team I am privileged to work with a team of 40 people in Outreach. These people are those that help to create change and keep families together; they empower and build on the strengths of the community around them.
I began my journey in Foster Care before moving into the Residential team. As many others, I felt drawn to the young people in our care and wanted to help them. A key moment in my career which switched up my thinking and practice was when I met a young person’s family for the first time. I saw how important they were, and from that moment I never wanted to forget the importance of family in healing, and in the bigger picture of a person’s life. I have learnt though my journey to really listen to people, hear their experiences and learn that they are their own experts. Sometimes they just need a person beside them, understanding and supporting to get to the next step. Every family’s journey is different.
Supporting a young person to maintain contact with their family is a key goal within all programs within Allambi. In Outreach we get the honour to support some amazing people and reconnect children with their families. There is a lot of research that supports children in OOHC being connected with family, especially for those who are older and getting ready to leave care. Knowing their family can help provide a secure platform for their future as an adult. We know that relationships with family can be complicated, and their journey into care is connected to this. But what we have learnt is people can change, risks can be eliminated and that with the supports of a community reunification and relationships can be successful.
Family connectedness is a framework for transformation. Together with a family practice model Allambi have the concepts, tools and strategies to bring about profound change and social justice though evolving casework practice. Connecting back to family helps highlight the importance of human relationship, mutual respect, and sustained partnership between professionals and volunteers, youth, and their families, communities, and culture.
Relationship is the single most important factor in the capacity for healing and resilience and must be at the centre of casework practice. When we engage the child’s extended family, community, and culture we provide the child with the opportunity of relationship, and we open the door to healing and permanence. As child welfare professionals we should settle for nothing less.
Through this journey we have learned that present-day extended families are bigger than ever due to the prevalence of diverse family make-ups and other changes in parental relationships. Put another way, the blended family has expanded the family tree. Other factors leading to the growth and diversity of the family are changes and access to diverse and widespread communication through technology and social media.
We must understand that every young person has an immediate and extended family, and they can be found if we try. We want those we care for to feel connected. A permanent, meaningful connection to family and caring adults helps a person to develop a sense of belonging and hope. Loneliness can be devastating, even dangerous, and is experienced by most children and youth in the care system. The most recent research, and through my own experience connecting children to families shows that the single factor most closely associated with positive outcomes for young people is a meaningful, life-long connection to a family and community of support.
