The younger child in the 'Brown' family has only hazy memories of his mother as he was only 18 months old when he was taken into care by Child Protection. The two older children however, had frightening memories of violent rows between their mother and their stepfather - rows which sometimes spilled over to include them as targets for their stepfather's anger. They remembered the hunger, the moving from place to place, the teasing and bullying they experienced at school when they turned up unkempt and smelly, and seeing their mother drugged to the point where she was unable to respond the essential needs of the younger child.

The two older children had spent some time in foster care but had been returned home when the mother's ability to look after her children appeared to have improved. However, when she partnered with the father of the youngest child, the family situation deteriorated due to the parents' increased drug use. The mother's death from an overdose was the trigger for Child Protection to take the children into protective custody.

Initially the children were placed in a residential unit so that they could be kept together. However, despite the care they received at the unit, the regular change over of rostered staff at the unit heightened their insecurities. Fortunately, through OzChild's sibling group program, a foster family was found who were happy to take all three children so that they could stay together. A van was organised for the foster family, who already had two teenage children, so that everyone could go out together.

The initial period of adjustment was not without its difficulties, particularly for the older two children, who had significant behavioural problems as a consequence of the abuse and neglect that they had been exposed to.  Gradually with patience and skill, the carers, supported by their OzChild caseworker, built a warm and trusting relationship with the older children. The younger child quickly responded to the warm, nurturing care and soon started to catch up on his developmental milestones. Several years later the children are still with their OzChild carers and they now have a far greater chance to take a different journey in life to that of their parents.

OzChild service area: Foster Care