Children and Young People in the Care System: Relational Practice in Working with Transitions and Challenges

Abstract

Policymakers and practitioners around the globe are being challenged to respond to the complex and diverse needs of vulnerable children and young people. Children and young people in the care system face multiple challenges throughout their childhood (disrupted attachments, exposure to harm, impoverished social and material conditions, and inadequate resources to meet their basic needs) and experience compressed childhoods. They take on adult responsibilities from an early age and become skilled at making do andmanaging challenging circumstances on their own, including taking care of siblings and other family members. Children and young people in the care system have interrupted education pathways and given this experience, and the attendant lack of social and emotional resources, they may miss out on the “ordinary” activities, milestones, and opportunities (such as social and recreational activities) that enable positive futures. These children and young people have struggled to find meaningful support from services and from other trusted adults that lead to better experiences and outcomes (Munford & Sanders, 2019; Munford & Sanders, 2021). For many, service engagement is inconsistent, interventions are episodic, and promises are not delivered; they have not been well supported in their transitions through the care system and in their transition out of the care system. Social workers play a key role in promoting practice that effectively responds to the needs of children and young people in care and supports them to experience positive pathways out of care. Relational practices offer an approach to practice that responds to their unique needs and complex challenges, expands opportunities, and supports them to achieve positive outcomes and realise different futures. Three core elements of relational practice have relevance for the experiences of children and young people in the care system: building a deep understanding of children and young people’s lived experience; establishing trust-based and respectful relationships with children and young people and supporting them to be at the centre of decision-making processes on plans and interventions; and actively engaging children and young people in planning for transitions within and out of the care system. Effective social work practice begins with listening and seeking an understanding of children and young people’s diverse contexts and experiences. This involves taking time to listen, suspending assumptions and judgement, and showing respect for children and young people’s experiences, contexts, values, beliefs, culture, and coping capacities. When social workers listen deeply to their stories and are attuned to learning about their circumstances and the complex issues they have managed, they build a nuanced and deep understanding of children and young people’s everyday lived experiences. This extends the possibilities of social work interventions as hearing children and young people’s perspectives enables insight into the factors that have shaped their experiences including the impact of structural disadvantage, trauma, and the multiple contextual stress they have experienced, including being in the care system from an early age. The article by Menzies and Grace (2022) in this Issue, reported on a comprehensive training program for welfare practitioners working with Aboriginal families. They underline the importance of building understanding of the collective and intergenerational trauma in Indigenous communities. This understanding engenders a more nuanced