Overview
This resource page is dedicated to foster carers and their care communities. It introduces side-by-side Growth Action Planning processes, where the carer’s voice and wisdom is magnified, and a shared intent for child and/or carer support is developed within the care community.
What We Notice Sometimes
Care teams around children across child protection systems dont always work together around a shared intent. Professionals, teachers, case managers and caregivers often speak their own language, which is sometimes founded upon their own lens and needs.
As a consequence, many foster carers report feeling disempowered. Their voice and needs are not fully heard nor valued within support processes, and multi-agency or are team meetings can be overwhelming and challenging experiences.
This is such a shame, as the voice and wisdom of caregivers is essential in ensuring that children receive coordinated and optimal support to meet their growth and healing needs. Unlike case managers or professionals, foster carers don’t get to go home at 5pm, and they need to work through the ups and downs of caring at all hours.
Our Focus
Empowering Foster Carer Voice and Wisdom
Through our capacity building work across foster care, we are focused on empowering foster carers with the (1) knowledge, (2) skills, (3) language and (4) methods for their voice and wisdom to be heard and valued across care communities.
The IMPACT Program provides core content to empower foster carers to have lead roles in child or carer focused Growth Action Planning processes, and build a shared intent with the care community. Growth Action Planning is focused on:
- What is happening for the child, caregiver and broader community?
- What is important to focus on?
- How this can be actioned through shared responses.
By providing caregivers with the knowledge, skills and methods to undertake deep and strong Growth Action Planning, foster carers are empowered within the care community to develop a shared intent with others. Care communities founded upon shared intent are in the best position to activate growth outcomes for children and young people.
Further Information
Foster Carers and Care Community Members
Your local IMPACT Coach can provide you access to additional resources, factsheets and videos on carer led Growth Action Planning. This includes completing an accredited IMPACT professional development module (with certificate).
IMPACT Coaches
The accredited IMPACT module can be found IMPACT Online. Click here, and then log-in with your username and password.
