Upload
esmond-kelley
View
215
Download
1
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
STRUGGLING TO KEEP IT TOGETHER
LIFE IN CHILDREN’S INSTITUTIONS
AND ITS AFTERMATH
Survey Report 2010 for ACWA Conference
Report:
Frank Golding and Leonie Sheedy
CLAN is sincerely appreciative to the 520 Care Leavers who freely gave insights into their childhood
experiences and their adult lives.
CLAN understands the great difficulty of revisiting unhappy childhoods and reflecting on experiences
after leaving “care”.
The valuable evidence they have contributed will assist CLAN in advocating for the needs of Care Leavers, and to assist and inform Government
agencies.
• Of the 520 respondents, 55% were women and 45% were men, with ages ranging from 27 years to 89 years.
• Just fewer than 90% are 50 years old or older and nearly 46% are over 60.
MALE VS. FEMALE
Male
Female
• Respondents were from all states and even some overseas, however, majority, nearly 80%, are from NSW, Victoria and Queensland.
RESPONDENT’S CURRENT LOCATIONS
NSW QLD VIC
TAS WA SA
NT Overseas
WHY PEOPLE WERE PUT IN CARE?
Illness
Death
Alcohol
Family
Violence
Poverty
Unemploym
ent
Lack
of suita
ble
Parent a
way in
the W
ar
Mental
Drug
Lack
of support
Unmarried
Deserte
d
Marriag
e Brea
k
Family
History
Parent in
Gaol
Don't Know
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
LEAVING CARE
Some comments:• “I was sent back to abusive Father”• “I went back to the same alcoholic parents that I was
taken from - nothing had changed”• “I was welcomed back to hell and mental abuse - but
the sexual and physical abuse stopped - I was strong”• “I was sent back home to parents but ran away due to
violence at home”• “I was returned to my abusive Mother where her
boyfriends attempted to molest me”
Retur
ned
to p
aren
ts
Live
with o
ther
mem
bers
Staye
d with
sibl
ings
Spent
firs
t nigh
t with
stra
nger
s
Spent
firs
t nigh
t alon
e
Spent
firs
t nigh
t on
stre
ets
Had a
job
Suitab
le ac
com
odat
ion a
rrang
ed
Sum o
f mon
ey to
tide
Reaso
nable
sup
ply o
f clot
hing
Contin
ued
scho
oling
People
who
look
ed a
fter s
aid y
ou w
ere
welcom
e b.
..0
50
100
150
200
250
IMPACT OF CHILDHOOD ON ADULT LIFE
The formula seems clear:
Separation from parents and siblings +
A childhood of neglect and abuse=
An adulthood of social exclusion and entrenched multiple disadvantage
• People who lived in a household where no person is employed.
CLAN Survey: the number of households in which there was no person in paid employment was 40% and long-term unemployment was prevalent. • People in the bottom 30% of equivalent household disposable
income who would not be able to raise $2,000 within a week. CLAN Survey: Only 28% said they could raise $2,000 and a further 19% said maybe – while 53% said definitely not.• People who are not able to get support in times of crisis from
people living outside the household which may impact adversely on their ability to participate in the community.
CLAN Survey: Fewer than 60% said they could get help and just over 40% said no or were uncertain; as well the CLAN Survey shows the extent to which Care Leavers are disconnected from family and community.
• People whose self-assessed health status was fair or poor. CLAN Survey: 60% reported their physical health to be fair, poor or very poor; while 57% reported their mental health to be fair, poor or very poor.• People aged 20 years or more who had not completed year 10
or higher at school. CLAN Survey: More than a quarter had no schooling beyond primary level and more 50% were not given the opportunity to gain the first certificate level of secondary schooling – Year 10. Institutionalised children were offered inferior schooling with life-long negative effects on employment and earning capacity. • People who felt unsafe or very unsafe at home alone after
dark. CLAN Survey: As many as 121 people felt unsafe or very unsafe (out of 520 = 23%). Compare this with the Social Inclusion Board: In 2006, 7% of Australian adults felt unsafe or very unsafe alone at home after dark.
EMPLOYMENT • ‘I can’t work full time due to serious back pain inflicted as a child in
homes.’ • ‘Retired at 39 years due to psychological problems when I found out
my parents were alive after hearing they were dead when I was in the home.’
• ‘Ill for many years due to treatment from the system - lost a lot of income.’
• ‘Because of lack of education in homes I am only able to get menial labour jobs.’
• ‘Very difficult to keep a job, I have an issue with authority - suffer depression and anxiety.’
• ‘When I told the job capacity manager about the Forgotten Australians, she said, “Centrelink has an Indigenous service officer, go there.” I am white!
EFFECTS OF “CARE”
• ‘I can't trust anyone.’• ‘My alcohol problem came about to forget the
homes.’ • ‘I am continually haunted by my past.’• A lot of us were treated as P.O.W.S "prisoners in
welfare system" I've listen to old diggers and I'm an ex vet but kids were treated as bad as them. Some worse, some the same, some were lucky to have not been scarred, but we will never forget them.
• Respondents marked more than one option however the most commonly founded themes were trusting people, difficulties with relationships, psychological issues, physical pain and problems as a parent.
Can't t
rust
peo
ple in
aut
horit
y
Chose
not
to h
ave
child
ren
Spent
time
in ga
ol
Child
or g
rand
child
in g
aol
Alcoho
l
Child
or g
rand
child
with
alco
hol
Drug
Child
or g
rand
child
with
dru
g
Anger
Main
taing
clos
e re
lation
ships
Seriou
s pr
oblem
s as
par
ent
Flashb
acks
Psych
ologic
al
Physic
al pa
in
Sex in
dust
ry
Got
pre
g as
teen
Got
girl
preg
nant
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
FAMILY CONTACT
The Social Inclusion Board reported that about 96% Australians have contact with friends and family outside
the household at least once a week:
“Having regular contact with family or friends provides many benefits. Communicating with friends or family can
assist people to feel connected, cared for, and part of a strong family or social network. Regular communication with friends and family also means that when people are faced with challenges it is more likely that they will have
someone to whom go to for support or to talk to.”
INTERGENERATIONAL “CARE” • Although most respondents acknowledged bad experiences of
growing up in “care” of the 520 respondents, over 40% said that they were not the first generation of Care Leavers.
PARENTS/GRANDPARENTS IN “CARE”
Made wards of state
orphanage
Foster
Adopted
• However, 75 respondents noted that their children or grandchildren have been in “care” and the cycle has been repeated with the next generation.
CHILDREN/GRANDCHILDREN IN “CARE”
Made wards of state
orphanage
Foster
Adopted
Court Order
• ‘I had my second daughter adopted out because I thought I wasn't a good mother. Nurses used to tell me when I was eleven that I wouldn't be any good. My first daughter I kept and she is a drug addict - I wasn't any good in the end. I had 4 abortions as well.’
• ‘After 2nd marriage - I had a nervous breakdown because of physical abuse; I was sent to psychiatric care and children in state care - this still upsets and impacts them today.’
• ‘Children were taken away when I left my violent husband - no help from DoCS - except them taking kids away.’
• ‘Became pregnant at 17 - my mum didn't want anything to do with me. I had no support and gave the baby up for adoption.’
• ‘I did not have the skills necessary to raise my son I gave him up willingly.’
Seven respondents acknowledged that they chose not to have children; whilst the majority of respondents had similar opinions acknowledging that “over my dead body will any of my children go into "care"’ as many try to break the cycle.
SERVICES FOR CARE LEAVERS
The most frequently used service (defined as used once or more in the past 12
months) was counselling. It is clear that counselling by its very nature tends to be a
recurring activity whereas the next most frequently used service.
Counselling
Records
Legal Matters
Support Group
Medical and Dental
Life Skills
Computers
Finding your family
Help with reading and writing
Help with housing
Centrelink
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
FINDING SERVICES HELPFUL
WHAT STOPS YOU FROM USING SERVICES?
When asked what stops you using these services, the five main recurring messages were:• INFORMATION BARRIERS: Did not know about or did not know how to
use the service - 115 respondents • PRACTICAL BARRIERS: Distance; or not available where I live; live in
another State from where I grew up; Not eligible; Cost and time - 106 respondents
• EMOTIONAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS: Shame or fear; Reminds me of my childhood; Can bring up painful memories; Stress; Mental health; Self-esteem; pride; Can’t mix with people in groups - 60 respondents
• SERVICE PROVIDER BARRIERS: Mistrust of, or lack confidence in, service providers; Prefer to deal only with Care Leavers; Waste of time - 45 respondents
• DON’T NEED A SERVICE - 39 respondents
REDRESS APPLICATIONS AND OUTCOMES
• 186 respondents said they did not know anything about Redress.
• 50 respondents applied and received a payout from:
- QLD Redress – 25 respondents - Churches and charities – 22 respondents- TAS Redress – 3 respondents
REDRESS OUTCOMES
Don't know anything about Redress
Received payout
Applied but not eligible
Applied and waiting for a decision
Don't want to apply
Want to apply but…
AGED CARE
• Of the 520 respondents, 139 respondents declared they would never live in “care” again; this is particularly due to the fear of abuse, reinstitutionalisation and as well as finishing their life the way they started – living in an institution.
OVERALL FIRST PREFERENCES
Own Home
Own Family
Retirement
Nursing
OVERALL LAST PREFERENCES
Own Home
Own Family
Retirement
Nursing
ANY QUESTIONS?
FOR MORE INFORMATION WWW.CLAN.ORG.AU