17 October 2006
Australia's leading child and youth welfare researchers have condemned the nation's child protection systems for leaving children to fend for themselves once they leave state care - some as young as 16 or 17.
Monash academics Dr Phillip Mendes and Dr Catherine Forbes have joined key child welfare researchers in condemning government for failing to provide proper support, with many young people becoming homeless, pregnant or part of the juvenile justice system within months of leaving care.
Their views are expressed in the latest edition of Children Australia Journal, published quarterly by OzChild.
Dr Mendes, from Monash's Department of Social Work, and Dr Forbes, a seniorlecturer in the Faculty of Business and Economics who has served on the Telstra Leaving Care Project steering committee, were invited to be guest editors of the special edition.
Dr Mendes said the main concern of all contributors to the journal was that governments implement a range of programs to maintain ongoing and vital support.
"Each Australian state, as substitute parent for these young people, has a legal and moral responsibility to provide ongoing support to them once they leave residential or foster care," Dr Mendes said.
"Leaving care is an integral part of the child welfare continuum. The billions of dollars spent on child protection systems are potentially wasted if opportunities are not provided for the survivors of child abuse and neglect to participate in mainstream society."
"Many child welfare workers still hold the well-intentioned but arguably ill-informed view that young people are entitled, on civil liberty grounds, to attain absolute independence from their substitute carers once their statutory child protection order ends. That view has to change."
For more information call Dr Phillip Mendes on 9903 1132, or Ms Sharon Lee, Media Communications, on 9905 9919. Dr Mendes can supply a PDF version of the special edition of the journal upon request.
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