Survey to Examine Young People's’ Experiences in Out-of-Home Care
7 August 2017 at 11:40 am
A national peak consumer body representing the voices of children and young people who have been in out-of-home care, the Create Foundation, is carrying out a major survey into the experiences of living in the care-system in Australia.
CREATE’s 2017 National Survey hopes to include those who have had experience in kinship care, foster care and residential care and wants those working with these young people in the not-for-profit sector to encourage young people to take part.
“This is the second time CREATE has done this large survey. In 2013, CREATE wrote the Report Card Experiencing Out-of-Home Care in Australia: The views of children and young people (McDowall, 2013),” national policy and advocacy manager at CREATE Foundation, Noelle Hudson said.
“That report card heard from 1069 children and young people aged 8-17 years, including 29 per cent Indigenous children and young people. It was the first national survey recording the views of children and young people within the care system,” Hudson said.
“The 2017 survey will be asking children and young people aged 8 to 25 years questions about their lives in care. These questions are based on the National Standards for Out Of Home Care and cover important areas like housing, education, family connection, health, how much people are involved in decision making and how happy they are feeling.
“CREATE will write to children and young people inviting them to be part of this important research and we are encouraging those in the sector working with young people to promote the anonymous survey to their clients.
“We will use this information to advocate for change to improve services for all children and young people in care.”
Hudson said the foundation was offering prizes for participants including a number of $100 gift vouchers for each state and territory and all participants would go into the draw for an iPad mini.
CREATE will be running the survey from July until the 31st October 2017.
For more details on the survey email Peter Melrose, CREATE’s Advocacy (Communications) Officer at peter.melrose@create.org.au or call 07 3062 4860.
