Article type: Commentary
19 October 2015
Volume 40 Issue 4
Article type: Commentary
19 October 2015
Volume 40 Issue 4
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Foster Care from a Historical Perspective
Freda Briggs1 *
Susan Hunt2
Affiliations
1 Child Development, Magill Campus, South Australia 5072, University of South Australia, Australia
2 Child Abuse Prevention Research Australia, Monash Injury Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Monash University, Australia
Correspondence
*AO Freda Briggs
Contributions
Freda Briggs -
Susan Hunt -
Freda Briggs1 *
Susan Hunt2
Affiliations
1 Child Development, Magill Campus, South Australia 5072, University of South Australia, Australia
2 Child Abuse Prevention Research Australia, Monash Injury Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Monash University, Australia
Correspondence
*AO Freda Briggs
Part of Special Series: Out of Home Care-Reflecting on the Past and Envisioning Future Developments
CITATION: Briggs F., & Hunt S. (2015). Foster Care from a Historical Perspective. Children Australia, 40(4), 1986. doi.org/10.1017/cha.2015.36
Abstract
Foster care has been available in Australia for almost 150 years. Carers have long been recognised as “the ultimate volunteers” who care for the most traumatised, emotionally disturbed children in the nation. Given that they provide the foundation stone of the child protection system, one might expect carers to be supported and valued. Numerous studies have shown otherwise. Warning signs over the years have been ignored by child welfare authorities resulting in carers leaving the service faster than they could be recruited and the most needy young children being placed in caravan parks, cheap motels and group homes supervised by occasional, inadequately trained, generalist carers employed on seven hour contracts by agencies.