OzChild’s first Mockingbird Family Constellation

In Australia, there are approximately 9000 foster carers; this equates to roughly around 0.03% of our total population. That means that over 99% of the population has no idea what it’s like to foster a child or young person. That coupled with a concerning decrease in the number of people stepping up to foster and, more worryingly, an increase in the number of carers deciding to end their caring journey. This alarming trend underscores the urgent need for enhanced support, development and retention strategies that focus on better support for carers.

On Monday, we took a massive leap in the right direction to begin solving this issue by celebrating the launch of our very first Mockingbird Family Constellation, a hub where a lead carer works hard to keep a constellation of 6-8 local carer households connected and working together using an evidence-informed model to create a community of local carers working together and supporting each other and the children and young people in their care.

The micro-community focuses on the individual needs of its children and carers by ensuring carers are skilled, supported and confident in providing the best care for children and young people. This support network for foster families also allows them to receive peer support from a community that knows them and has truly walked in their shoes.

The UK has greatly succeeded with the Mockingbird initiative, with carers feeling more connected and supported.

This is a result both Chris Skinner from Life Without Barriers and we hope to replicate. Chris has been instrumental in setting our team and carers up for success. We believe there is great value in collaborating with like-minded organisations, like Life Without Barriers, to build a stronger, better-supported village of carers, which will hopefully see many more constellations formed in the future.