The project adds a new category of primary carers in addition to foster and family carers, termed ‘community carers’, to support some of Western Australia’s most vulnerable children and young people in care.
Community carers are from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander or Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities and provide out-of-home care for children and young people to help them remain connected to their culture.
The power of community care: Olivia’s story
Becoming a community carer felt natural for Olivia who originally grew up in a large family in Sierra Leone and has seven biological children of her own.
“I didn't know that helping other kids here was ‘community caring’ until I came to Australia, because I grew up helping the community back home,” Olivia said.
“Coming from Africa, the saying goes it takes one person to give birth to a child but it takes a whole village to raise a child.”
“Community care is part of, I won't call it DNA, but it's part of our culture.”
Now two months into an official carer placement with the Department of Communities, Olivia said caring for a child brings another dynamic into the family.
“Having this child here, it brings out in me some gratitude every day that I've got to give this love that a child so desperately needs.”
“He keeps us on our toes and we love that because we are looking at it like, one child being rescued is a million being rescued out there.”
“What if it was my child? I would want that child to have care, love. If I can provide that for them at this time, whether it's short term or long term or forever, the issue here is provide that security, that love, that care, that stability.”
With the Community Carer Project soon to be rolled out across the state, Olivia is a testament to how community carers can nurture identity and belonging for children and young people in care.
“Community care means that you are helping out in the community with children who are vulnerable, children who need a home to feel loved, feel protected, feel cared for – a place to belong.”
“As an African we believe in our culture. We believe with your culture you have an identity. Losing that culture, you've lost your identity. You're lost because you don't know whether you're here or you're there. But having that culture with you keeps you rooted with your identity. You know where you're coming from, what your culture is about, what your people are like, the history of it.”
“There's a whole generation nowadays who are lost because they've lost their cultural touch. So bringing them back into their culture, into their form, they feel belonging. They feel wanted. They feel part of that community. It's very important.”
- For more information about community care, please contact the Fostering Connections team on 1800 182 178 or fosteringconnections@communities.wa.gov.au.
- See story featured on SBS News
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