Automatic language translation
Our website uses an automatic service to translate our content into different languages. These translations should be used as a guide only. See our Accessibility page for further information.
Missed the live webinar? A captioned recording is now available to view.
Grief and loss have always been integral to the experience of foster carers who are asked to provide love and care for a child and then let them go. However, these experiences of loss have frequently gone unacknowledged. Out-of-home care programs and case workers should consider how to support carers and their families with the difficult experience of placements ending, in the context of a child-centred and increasingly pressured out-of-home care sector.
In this webinar, Dr Margaret Kertesz from the University of Melbourne shared her findings from research with foster carers across three Australian jurisdictions. The study highlighted the importance of acknowledging carers' deep emotional bonds with the children in their care and emphasised the need for better preparation, training, and support from foster care agencies. We heard from Andrea Brash and Daniel Teitzel from the Department of Communities and Justice as well as Loren Dumbrell a carer representative from “My Forever Family” who discussed effective strategies to support carers and their families.
This webinar was chaired by Jessica Stewart (Executive Director, FACSIAR).
Dr Margaret Kertesz - Senior Research Fellow, Department of Social Work, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne
Download Dr Margaret Kertesz's Presentation Slides (PDF, 919.0 KB)
29 Nov 2024