National Standards for out-of-home care
Standard 1
Children and young people will be provided with stability and security during their time in care.
Standard 2
Children and young people participate in decisions that have an impact on their lives.
Standard 3
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities participate in decisions concerning the care and placement of their children and young people.
Standard 4
Each child and young person has an individualised plan that details their health, education and other needs.
Standard 5
Children and young people have their physical, developmental, psychosocial and mental health needs assessed and attended to in a timely way.
Standard 6
Children and young people in care access and participate in education and early childhood services to maximise their educational outcomes.
Standard 7
Children and young people up to at least 18 years are supported to be engaged in appropriate education, training and/or employment.
Standard 8
Children and young people in care are supported to participate in social and/or recreational activities of their choice, such as sporting, cultural or community activity.
Standard 9
Children and young people are supported to safely and appropriately maintain connection with family, be they birth parents, siblings or other family members.
Standard 10
Children and young people in care are supported to develop their identity, safely and appropriately, through contact with their families, friends, culture, spiritual sources and communities and have their life history recorded as they grow up.
Standard 11
Children and young people in care are supported to safely and appropriately identify and stay in touch, with at least one other person who cares about their future, who they can turn to for support and advice.
Standard 12
Carers are assessed and receive relevant ongoing training, development and support, in order to provide quality care.
Standard 13
Children and young people have a transition from care plan commencing at 15 years old which details support to be provided after leaving care.
Note: The full set of 13 National Standards and their 22 measures is at Attachment A.
Standard 1
Children and young people will be provided with stability and security during their time in care.
What this means
Children and young people living in out-of-home care are to experience security, stability, continuity of relationships and social support. These are vital to healthy emotional development and provide strong predictors of better outcomes for children.
Children and young people are to be matched with the most suitable carers and the care environment according to their assessed needs.
Research shows that stability, connectedness and security are essential to achieving successful transition to adulthood and are strong predictors of outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care.
How this will be measured
- 1.1 The proportion of children and young people exiting out-of-home care during the year who had 1 or 2 placements, by length of time in continuous care preceding exit.
- 1.2 The rate and number of children in out-of-home care who were the subject of a child protection substantiation and the person believed responsible was living in the household providing out-of-home care.
- 1.3 The proportion of children and young people in out-of-home care who report feeling safe in and secure in their current placement.
Standard 2
Children and young people participate in decisions that have an impact on their lives.
What this means
Children and young people in out-of-home care are actively involved in decision-making about their lives. This is critical to emotional development and self-esteem and is a key provision within the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Children and young people are to be provided with objective advice, able to ask for help, have their concerns heard and given information about, and access to, review mechanisms. In all these areas, the level of active involvement will be appropriate to the young person's age and developmental stage.
How this will be measured
- 2.1 The proportion of children and young people who report that they have opportunities to have a say in relation to decisions that have an impact on their lives and that they feel listened to.
Standard 3
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities participate in decisions concerning the care and placement of their children and young people.
What this means
Maintaining connections to family, community and country will help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people to develop their identity, feel connected to their culture and develop their spirituality.
Strategies underpinning responses to the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children are partnerships between Indigenous families and communities, and between Indigenous agencies, mainstream service providers and governments, in order to provide culturally appropriate responses. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities' participation in decisions could be through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander controlled organisations that participate in decision making with child protection agencies and non-government organisations.
How this will be measured
- 3.1 The proportion of Indigenous children and young people in out-of-home care placed with the child's extended family, with the child's Indigenous community, or with other Indigenous people, by carer type.
See also Measure 10.1 The proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people who have a current cultural support plan.
Standard 4
Each child and young person has an individualised plan that details their health, education and other needs.
What this means
The care planning process is to be focused on the wellbeing of the individual living in out-of-home care. The care plan is to include the views of the child and young person where appropriate and developed in partnership with carers, families and significant others. Where applicable, this approach will include cultural plans.
How this will be measured
- 4.1 The proportion of children and young people who have a current documented case plan.
Standard 5
Children and young people have their physical, developmental, psychosocial and mental health needs assessed and attended to in a timely way.
What this means
Children and young people entering care are to have their health needs assessed and receive specialised services to respond to their health challenges, so that their chances for optimum health are maximised.
The child or young person's physical, developmental and psychosocial and mental health needs are to be identified in a preliminary health check. This will provide advice on the specialist services required and the timing of a comprehensive health and developmental assessment.
Children and young people are to have their own written health record which moves with them if they change placements.
How this will be measured
- 5.1 The number and proportion of children and young people who have an initial health check of their physical, developmental, psychosocial and mental health needs within a specified period of entering out-of-home care.
Standard 6
Children and young people in care access and participate in education and early childhood services to maximise their educational outcomes.
What this means
Children and young people in care are to have opportunities to experience early learning and education that enables them to fulfil their potential, maximise life opportunities and make a contribution.
High quality early childhood services improve children's outcomes. Giving children a positive start will ensure they have the best possible future, and providing access to high quality early childhood education before formal schooling starts is the most effective way of helping all children reach their potential. Children and young people in care should have the same opportunities as all other children.
How this will be measured
- 6.1 The proportion of children and young people achieving national reading and numeracy benchmarks.
- 6.2 The number and proportion of 3 and 4 year old children who participate in quality early childhood education and child care services.
Standard 7
Children and young people up to at least 18 years are supported to be engaged in appropriate education, training and/or employment.
What this means
Children and young people in care are to have opportunities to experience education, training and development that enables them to fulfil their potential, maximise life opportunities and make a contribution.
The Commonwealth and state and territory governments signed a National Partnership Agreement on Youth Attainment and Transitions to work together to improve outcomes in educational attainment; engagement of young people aged 15-24 with education, training and employment; and transitions of young people from school to further education, training or employment. Young people in care should have the same opportunities as other young people to complete their education.
How this will be measured
- 7.1 The proportion of young people who complete year 10 and the proportion who complete year 12 or equivalent Vocational Education and Training.
Standard 8
Children and young people in care are supported to participate in social and/or recreational activities of their choice, such as sporting, cultural or community activity.
What this means
Children and young people in care are to have the opportunity to experience a life that is actively connected with the community, including education, social, sporting and cultural opportunities.
How this will be measured
- 8.1 The proportion of children and young people who report they may choose to do the same sorts of things (sporting, cultural or community activities) that children and young people their age who aren't in care do.
Standard 9
Children and young people are supported to safely and appropriately maintain connection with family, be they birth parents, siblings or other family members.
What this means
Children and young people in care are to maintain their relationships with people who are important to them, such as immediate and extended family where it is safe to do so. These relationships are important to the development of their identity, as well as their feeling of belonging in the world.
How this will be measured
- 9.1 The proportion of children and young people in out-of-home care who are placed with relatives and kin.
- 9.2 The proportion of children and young people who report they have an existing connection with at least one family member which they expect to maintain.
- 9.3 The proportion of children (as age-appropriate) and young people who report having contact with family members, by the reported frequency of contact, by their reported satisfaction with contact arrangements.
Standard 10
Children and young people in care are supported to develop their identity, safely and appropriately, through contact with their families, friends, culture, spiritual sources and communities and have their life history recorded as they grow up.
What this means
Children and young people in care are to know who they are and where they have come from. Memories and experiences during their time in care will be recorded in photos and other memorabilia to help them recall the people and events that have shaped their lives.
In particular, shared experiences with family, friends and carer families, as well as school, cultural, spiritual and community experiences and events are encouraged to strengthen the sense of self of children and young people in care.
How this will be measured
- 10.1 The proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people who have a current cultural support plan.
- 10.2 The proportion of children (as age-appropriate) and young people who demonstrate having a sense of connection with the community in which they live.
Standard 11
Children and young people in care are supported to safely and appropriately identify and stay in touch, with at least one other person who cares about their future, who they can turn to for support and advice.
What this means
Children and young people are to have access to at least one adult role model throughout their care. This can be critically important for children and young people in care and a vital support for their ongoing development.
How this will be measured
- 11.1 The proportion of children and young people who are able to nominate at least one significant adult who cares about them and who they believe they will be able to depend upon throughout their childhood or young adulthood.
Standard 12
Carers are assessed and receive relevant ongoing training, development and support, in order to provide quality care.
What this means
The people who are providing care are to receive training and support to help them to deliver the best care possible in often complex circumstances. Carers are to be recruited, assessed and have access to information and review mechanisms in order to ensure quality care is provided. Where appropriate, carers are to receive cultural competence training.
How this will be measured
- 12.1 The number of foster carer households with a placement at 30 June, by number of foster children placed, and number of foster carer households with a placement during the year.
- 12.2 The number of foster carers at 30 June, and the number of new approvals of persons as foster carers and the number of persons who cease to be approved foster carers during the twelve months to 30 June.
- 12.3 The proportion of foster carers and kinship carers (who had at least one placement during the year) who report feeling supported in their role and who feel their developmental needs relevant to their role are catered for.
Standard 13
Children and young people have a transition from care plan commencing at 15 years old which details support to be provided after leaving care.
What this means
Young people transitioning to independence are to have practical help to prepare for the future.
One of the biggest challenges for all young people is to maintain independent living. Developing these skills and abilities enables them to take their place in society and this requires emotional support and practical assistance.
A transition from care plan is to include, details of support to access affordable housing, health services, education and training, and employment and income support and is to be reviewed regularly.
How this will be measured
- 13.1 The proportion of young people aged 15 years and over who have a current leaving care plan.
- 13.2 The proportion of young people who, at the time of exit from out-of-home care, report they are receiving adequate assistance to prepare for adult life.