Understand factors that contribute to high support needs and assess the efficacy of a tailored early support program for Aboriginal children in Out-of-Home Care

Campus Plus is pleased to announce the commencement of an Australian Government Department of Education National Industry PhD Project, which brings together Southern Cross University and ABCARE (https://abcare.org.au/). Charlotte Kilby is the PhD candidate and will be supervised by Dr Emily Hindman from ABCARE and Professor Peter Hassmen from SCU’s Faculty of Health.

The project will explore how to improve support services and outcomes for Aboriginal children in out-of-home care. Aboriginal children are more than 12 times likely than non-Aboriginal children to be in out-of-home care. These children are also at greater risk of having experienced adverse experiences. The potential impact of this research on children, caregivers and the wider Australian community is significant. By providing essential information to policymakers and practitioners, this research seeks to promote effective early interventions and improved outcomes for Aboriginal children out-of-home care. This will inform the roll out of culturally sensitive, evidence-based supports that aim to improve long-term outcomes and quality of life for Aboriginal children and maximise existing support mechanisms.