“Resetting the Relationship” in Indigenous Child Protection: Public Hope and Private Reality

Abstract

A qualitative study explored the private realities of forty-five Australian Indigenous parents and carers who had experiences with child protection authorities. Interviews focused on the nature of the relationship between parents and authorities, how these regulatory encounters served to enlist or dissolve cooperation, and how child-focused outcomes could be delivered. The descriptions of encounters with authorities challenged the public hope for reconciliation between government and Indigenous Australians through reports of procedural injustice, failure by the authority to communicate and demonstrate soundness of purpose, and through lack of interest in identity affirmation and relationship building. In spite of these perceptions of integrity failings in how child protection authorities have operated, a positive role was acknowledged for authorities' future involvement, albeit with different strategies from those currently experienced. How this progression might be facilitated by principles of restorative justice and responsive regulation is discussed.l apo_354 80..103

Re-visioning Child Protection Management Embedded in Family Empowerment

“…This section examines the concept of empowerment and describes its relevance for this research, which offered arguments for service development in terms of lived experiences of families (Harris, 2012;Johnson and Sullivan, 2008;Platt, 2008;Wiffin, 2010;Ivec, Braithwaite and Harris, 2012;Khan, 2015). Exploring the perspectives of the parents about their wellbeing and empowerment needs can reflect deeper insight and contribute to the discussion regarding the concept and process of their empowerment (Dumbrill, 2006;D'Cruz and Gillingham, 2014;Ghaffar et al, 2012).…”

“…Ghaffar et al (2012) and Bunting et al (2015) highlighted the parents' own experiences of developmental trauma, substance misuse, domestic violence as well as associated social stigma. Johnson and Sullivan (2008) and Ivec et al (2012) articulated the socio-cultural alienations and increasing risks of the ethnic minorities including the indigenous population of involving with the child protection services. So, the parents may likely to carry enormous socio-emotional burden as accumulated over a long period of time.…”

“…The competency of the child protection service largely lies in its pro-family policy and appropriately trained, supported and motivated workforce who are able to connect and fairly serve needy families (D'Cruz and Gillingham, 2014;Ghaffar et al, 2012;Wiffin, 2010;Ivec, Braithwaite and Harris, 2012). The nourished opportunities seem particularly relevant for the "hard to reach" families alienated from the mainstream (Ivec et al, 2012). In his research in developmental economics, Sen (1999; presented the concept of nourished opportunities in terms of supportive developmental resources, which the vulnerable people are able to access freely without any stigma and realise through empowering experiences.…”

“…In the Indigenous families, the concept of families has been expanded in cultural context. Here the parenting responsibilities including critical roles like setting roles and boundaries as well as caring and supervising children are assumed not only by parents, but also by other family members in a child's kinship network such as siblings, aunts, uncles, and grandparents (Ivec et al, 2012).…”

“…It should be able to support the frontline practitioners in the entire process by creating nourished opportunities, which the families can easily access and utilise to nurture their potentialities in a safe and supportive environment (Sen, 2005). The competency of the child protection service largely lies in its pro-family policy and appropriately trained, supported and motivated workforce who are able to connect and fairly serve needy families (D'Cruz and Gillingham, 2014;Ghaffar et al, 2012;Wiffin, 2010;Ivec, Braithwaite and Harris, 2012). The nourished opportunities seem particularly relevant for the "hard to reach" families alienated from the mainstream (Ivec et al, 2012).…”