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Working together with families and communities
May/June 2004
In this issue
4
One-stop early
childhood centre
8
Building
Central Coast
communities
10
Pacific carers
prepare to care
13
Setting the
stage for Central
Coast youth
Working in
partnership
Building stronger
communities
15
New DoCS
website
www.community.nsw.gov.au

Partnerships to build stronger communities
> Corporate Directions
We also need to
maintain effective
coordination of
programs
involving multiple
government
agencies and the
non-government
sector.
Neil Shepherd, DoCS Director-General
> Most of you should be
aware that a range of programs
will be transferred
from the Premier’s
Department and The Cabinet
Office to DoCS from July this
year. Families First, Better
Futures, the Aboriginal Child Youth and Family
Strategy and youth policy functions under the
Office of Children and Young People will be
transferred from The Cabinet Office, while community
building programs such as Strengthening
Communities, Community Solutions and place
management projects will be transferred from
Premier’s.The Area Assistance Scheme will be
transferred from the Department of
Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources.
Around 60 staff and the current
budgets attached to these programs will
transfer to DoCS.This will mean some
re-structuring within DoCS, with a new
Communities and Policy division
established and managed by Deputy
Director-General, Sue Dawson.
One of the reasons for the transfer
was to seek any synergies across all such
programs. In due course we will also
look at potential improvements to community
programs.This includes looking
at arrangements for the programs ourselves,
discussing ideas for improvements that transferred
staff may have, and consulting with the
sector about their views for the programs in the
long term.
The transfer raises two main issues of concern.The
first is ensuring that community program
funds don’t get siphoned off into the high
cost end of DoCS’ business (ie. child protection
and out-of-home care).The second is how we
maintain effective coordination of programs
involving multiple government agencies and the
non-government sector (eg. Families First).
Preventing the siphoning of funds is easy.
We already do this – DoCS’ has not transferred
other program funds to out-of-home care in
2003/04 despite a $25 million overrun in costs
for high needs kids.The commitment is that we
will not transfer community program funds to
meet statutory child protection or out-of-home
care needs.
Maintaining effective coordination of multifaceted
programs also means the regional coordinator
positions don’t become the coordinator
AND the DoCS’ representative for the program.
DoCS will remain separately represented.
Effective coordination also means government
agencies need to retain their individual
commitment to these programs.This has already
been raised with all Human Services CEOs at
their April meeting, with a clear commitment
to continued support.
There will also be a regular reporting
arrangement to the Human Services CEOs
Forum about these multi-agency programs.
The Forum has agreed to this in-principle,
with DoCS to bring a formal proposal to a
meeting in the near future.
It is DoCS’ very clear intention to ensure
that community programs are properly
governed after the transfer and that they are
improved wherever possible.
I will keep you informed about future
developments.
2
Cover:The Create Foundation works in partnership with DoCS to support out-of-home-care kids.
Inside Out is published by:
NSW Department of Community Services.
Locked Bag 28
Ashfield NSW 1800
(02) 9716 2222
www.community.nsw.gov.au
Copyright © NSW Department of Community Services 2004
ISSN: 1442-0031
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Out, NSW Department of Community Services, Locked Bag 28,
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Produced by Lodestar Communications. (02) 9211 2682. Suite 408, 3 Smail Street, Ultimo, NSW 2007.
INSIDE OUT | May/June 2004 | | www.community.nsw.gov.au

Funding News
One-stop early
childhood centre
> An innovative, early childhood centre, complete
with speech therapists, early childhood
health professionals and a chef to prepare hot
meals for families to take home after a busy day,
has opened in Eastwood in Sydney.
The Somerville Park Early Childhood
Education Centre, a 48-place long-day-care centre
for children from birth to school age, has set
new standards in children’s services in northern
Sydney by offering a range of health and educational
services on-site and other practical familyfriendly
services.
Families can access the Lifestart Early
Intervention Program for children with additional
needs and the Noah’s Ark Toy Library – a specialist
mobile toy library service.
DoCS has provided more than $420,000 to
Hornsby Shire Council for the construction of
the Early Childhood Centre and almost $24,000
annually in recurrent funding.
Hornsby Council undertook comprehensive
research on the needs of local families prior to
constructing the centre, and found what families
needed was a centre that provided them with a
range of practical services from the one location.
The Somerville Park Early Childhood
Education Centre has also recruited a number
of bilingual staff, with half the children accessing
the service from culturally and linguistically
diverse backgrounds.
Somerville is a prototype for two more services
planned by Hornsby Shire Council. A
> Early Intervention
and Prevention
Early childhood research
in south west
Helping childcare
workers better engage
families from culturally and
linguistically diverse (CALD)
backgrounds was the focus
of a series of workshops
held in Sydney’s south west
in late February.
The workshops marked the
launch of a new resource handbook for childcare workers that
includes practical ways of reaching out to CALD families such
as building support networks through the promotion of cultural
celebrations and involving family representatives from different
cultural and language groups.
The initiative is the result of research commissioned by
DoCS through the Government’s Families First strategy and was
conducted by the University of Western Sydney (UWS). DoCS
funding of $80,500 allowed for interpreters to be used in
consultations with local communities.
The UWS research team, led by Associate Professor
Jacqueline Hayden and Dr Katey De Gioia, previously developed
the ‘Health Promoting Early Childhood Services Program’. This
new study was an extension of that program.
The research team worked closely with staff and families
from childcare centres in south west Sydney to uncover some of
the real and perceived barriers to relationship building and
communication with CALD families.
“Both parents and staff reported improved communications
and better networks as a result of the program,”
Dr De Gioia said.
Five steps for facilitating
partnerships and networks
with CALD families
1. Develop an Action Plan – Identify goals for facilitating
partnerships, communication and networking
2. Recruit a ‘Family Representative’ to support family liaison
(eg. a parent of a child at the centre who can represent one
or more of the CALD families within the service)
3. Assess current communication strategies in the service
4. Develop and implement ‘Action Plans’
5. Assess the program and re-commence planning cycle
For more information visit www.healthychildhood.org A
3
NSW Department of Community Services | | May/June 2004 | INSIDE OUT

Children’s Services
Exchanging tales from
bush and city life
> It’s a 457 kilometre drive from Gilgandra to
Glenorie but distance will not stop a unique
sister-service relationship developing between the
Glenorie Pre-School in Sydney’s north-west and
the Gilgandra Boori’s Playgroup in western NSW.
DoCS’ Northern Sydney Aboriginal
Community Program Officer, Larry Trudgett,
has initiated a relationship between the two
early childhood services, which will have
invaluable benefits for the children, parents and
staff of both services.
Children from Gilgandra and Glenorie will
share drawings, pictures and their experiences
of living in the city and bush. But the real
benefit will be in
sharing cultures,
with the Gilgandra
Playgroup, made up
predominantly of
Aboriginal children,
sharing their culture
with the Glenorie
children.
“DoCS is
committed to
supporting children’s
services and the
Department
encourages unique
ways for services to work together in caring
for and educating children before school,”
Larry said.
“The children at Gilgandra have a unique
story to share about life as Aboriginal children in
the bush.Also, the children from Glenorie will
no doubt have some great tales to share about
growing up in the big smoke.
“This unique relationship will expose the
children at Glenorie to Aboriginal history
and give these young children a window to
Aboriginal culture.The two services may also
Kids from Glenorie wanted to share a story with the Gilgandra kids
about life at the Glenorie Pre-School, so they produced a book,
complete with drawings and stories.
identify ways to celebrate national cultural
events, such as the National Aboriginal and
Islander Day Observance Committee Week,”
Larry said.
“DoCS hopes this relationship will also
include families and staff. Both services have
their own ways of educating and caring for
their children and we encourage them to share
these ideas.”
The Glenorie Pre-School children have
already made contact with their friends from
Gilgandra and are preparing a special book
about their activities at pre-school to send to
Gilgandra.
“The children
wanted to share a
story about life at the
Glenorie Pre-School,
so they have
produced a book,
complete with
drawings and stories,”
said Glenorie Pre-
School Director,
Justine Sheeba.
Gilgandra
Boori’s Playgroup
Coordinator, Pat
Naden, said many of
the children who access the service have never
been to Sydney.
“The beauty of this special relationship is
that it exposes these children, all under the age
of five, to a lifestyle in a place so far away that
they never knew existed,” Ms Naden said.
Larry believes the sister-service relationship
between Gilgandra and Glenorie will open
exciting doors for early childhood centres in
Sydney’s north and rural NSW. DoCS has
already linked six northern Sydney pre-schools
to Aboriginal services in the bush. A
4
But the real benefit will be in sharing cultures … The children at Gilgandra
have a unique story to share about life as Aboriginal children in the bush.
Also, the children from Glenorie will have some great tales to share.
INSIDE OUT | May/June 2004 | | www.community.nsw.gov.au

KARI caring for kids
> With 17 Aboriginal foster carers on their
books and 10 new carers about to begin training,
KARI Aboriginal Resources Inc (KARI) – based in
Sydney’s south west – has plenty to smile about.
Earlier this year, KARI received a NSW
Government Community Service Award in
recognition and appreciation of its outstanding
services to the community and the service also
secured additional funding to open a new
branch in Campbelltown in April.
Funded by DoCS, KARI is an independent
Aboriginal community-based service located in
Liverpool and coordinates out-of-home care for
indigenous children and youth in south west
Sydney.There are currently 20 indigenous
children in “KARI care”.
According to Chief Executive Officer Paul
Ralph, KARI is expanding its portfolio of
services.The service also runs a clinic to assess
the health needs of children and youth entering
care and is about to launch a three-day
residential program for its carers and their
children in October 2004.
“KARI only takes referrals from DoCS and
advocates a team approach, working closely
with DoCS caseworkers. Our service regularly
attends consultation meetings with DoCS and
also liaises with Health and Education,”
explained Paul.
Front to back: KARI CEO Paul Ralph, KARI OOHC Manager
Jacqui Edwards and DoCS Director of Partnership and
Planning Adele Brookes with KARI staff.
KARI offers a specialist and culturally
sensitive service aimed at ensuring Koori
children do not lose their cultural identity.
By employing a range of activities involving
children and carers, KARI’s focus is to “raise
the value” of indigenous culture.
“We want the children to be proud of who
they are.We provide opportunities for Koori
kids to meet other Koori kids, to interact, share
life stories and do things like play the didge,”
said Paul. A
> Services in Action
Baby Brian thrives on KARI care
Baby Brian* was born into the world only to face the
immediate challenge of withdrawing from methadone – a
process that would take approximately four months. His
mother and father could not care for him.
“We were asked by DoCS to find crisis care for this little
baby and we found a carer who had worked as a Karitanetrained
nurse,” said Jacqui Edwards, Manager Out-of-Home
Care for KARI.
“We needed to provide support to reduce the risk of this
placement breaking down. We provided regular respite for
the carer and her family, as the baby was screaming a lot
as a result of the withdrawal process. We also provided
practical resources such as a baby capsule for the car.”
Brian remained with his foster family until he was
eight months old and the courts determined he would live
with his paternal aunt. The carer and her family (which
included a teenager and two children aged eight and five)
provided a wonderful home for baby Brian and – with
support from KARI – the baby thrived.
KARI staff liaised regularly with the DoCS caseworker,
attending case conferences and providing information
related to the placement and Brian’s health. KARI also
supported the access and restoration process when it was
time for Brian to leave.
“KARI provided grief and counselling services to the
foster family as they had become very attached to him.
They are still in touch today with the paternal aunt.” A
KARI targets the local Aboriginal community to secure
Aboriginal carers. Word of mouth is the most powerful
advertisement.
*Name has been changed to protect identity.
5
NSW Department of Community Services | | May/June 2004 | INSIDE OUT

From the Regions
What’s happening in DoCS Regions across NSW
> Metro Central
Information links
> Education website for multicultural families
A website to help multicultural families in Sydney’s north
access information about early childhood education was
recently expanded to include information in five community
languages. The Childlink website has been translated into
traditional and simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean and
Italian and provides families with information to help them
make choices about early childhood education. The site
offers advice on how to assess information on staff-tochildren
ratios, educational programs, hours of care, the
cost of the centre and the centre’s physical environment.
DoCS has provided more than $30,000 during the past five
years to establish and maintain the Childlink website,
which attracted 17,000 hits in January 2004 alone. The
Childlink website is a joint project between DoCS and a
Community Education Working Group made up of local early
childhood education professionals in Northern Sydney.
Visit the site at www.childlink.com.au.
> Metro South West
Helping hand for families
> Vietnamese volunteers trained to help families
Vietnamese parents with young children in the Bankstown
area will soon be receiving support and assistance from
trained Vietnamese volunteers under a new Families First
volunteer home visiting program. DoCS Metro South West
Regional Director Anne Campbell said Karitane Volunteer
Programs is conducting a volunteer home visiting program
in Vietnamese. The program is designed to better prepare
volunteers for providing practical parenting advice, support
and social contact for Bankstown families with young
children, particularly those with children aged under four
years and first-time parents. Ms Campbell said a recent
call from Karitane for Vietnamese volunteers was answered
by 19 men and women eager to visit Vietnamese families in
their homes to offer friendship, parenting tips and
emotional support.
> Marrickville Women’s Day
DoCS was one of about 18 government agencies and local
community organisations that contributed to and attended
International Women’s Day celebrations at Marrickville on
9 March. About 500 people were at the Debbie and Abbey
Borgia Community Recreation Centre, Steel Park, for the big
day. On offer were a range of free activities for local women,
including leisure, recreation and arts, and workshops with a
learning and education focus. DoCS contributed $500
towards payment for the presenters/consultants and helped
out on the day with registrations.
A recent call from Karitane for Vietnamese volunteers was answered by
19 men and women eager to visit Vietnamese families in their homes.
6
INSIDE OUT | May/June 2004 | | www.community.nsw.gov.au

Focus on multicultural families
> Families First partnership in Auburn
Auburn Migrant Resource Centre was recently provided with
$60,000 in DoCS/Families First funding to undertake a new
Early Intervention Families Support Worker Project. This
project involved working with newly-arrived migrant and
refugee families to provide support by delivering services in
their own languages through training a casual pool of
bilingual community assistants (BCAs). The course covered
a range of topics including family services, communicating
with parents and children, problems families have when
migrating to Australia, interpersonal skills and an
introduction to child development and child safety.
Languages spoken by participants include Dinka, Bary,
Arabic, Farsi/Dari, Bosnian, Tigrinya, Chinese, Somali, Tamil
and Hindi. The BCAs work with the Families First family
support coordinator to assist with home visits and provide
practical support. For more information, contact Community
Program Officer Marilyn Fischer on (02) 9208 4564.
> Granville Multicultural Festival
Granville Multicultural Community Centre (GMCC) has been
busy preparing for the 8th Granville Multicultural Festival –
held 1 May 2004. GMCC Manager, Mark Drury says the
Centre has been a hub of activity, thanks to DoCS funding.
The Centre has a dynamic youth work team, responsible for
award-winning projects such as the “Youth In Our
The project involved working with newly-arrived migrant and refugee families
to provide support by delivering services in their own languages through
training a casual pool of bilingual community assistants.
Reaching remote communities
> Boost for Riverina Murray families
Families First services in the Riverina Murray area are set
to expand and support more families needing a helping
hand. Expressions of interest for more than $800,000 in
funding to develop three volunteer home visiting services to
support families in the Riverina Murray area closed in April.
Under the Families First initiative, funding has been made
available through DoCS to develop three volunteer home
visiting service projects covering the areas of Gundagai,
Tumut and Tumbarumba; Berrigan, Corowa and Jerilderie;
and Culcairn, Holbrook, Lockhart and Urana LGAs. The
funding is recurrent for three years and includes a one-off
Community” project - a partnership with Granville South
High School and local youth workers and facilities. Mark
said the Centre plans to work with community partners to
address some of the inter-generational issues that are
arising between parents and children. The Centre also
hosts a Families First Community Hub – running a number
of playgroups and parenting programs.
> Riverstone Community Hub
Families in the Riverstone area recently welcomed the
launch of the Riverstone Community Hub – funded by
DoCS/Families First with $108,000 (over three years).
Launched on 20 March, the Hub will offer resources to
support families with children aged 0-8, including
supported playgroups and access to parenting programs.
establishment payment of up to $40,000. The Riverina
Murray area will also benefit from three new supported
playgroups. Expressions of interest were sought for a
multicultural supported playgroup to be based in the
Griffith Local Government area; a supported playgroup for
families in the Temora and surrounds area; and a mobile
playgroup reaching remote areas of Corowa-Urana-Hume.
“A network of supported playgroups in the Riverina Murray
area will be a real boost for families with young children,
particularly those who are isolated and have difficulty
accessing transport,” said Glynis Ingram, DoCS Regional
Director Western.
> Metro West > Western
Under the Families First initiative, funding has been made available to develop
three volunteer home visiting service projects in the Riverina Murray area.
7
NSW Department of Community Services | | May/June 2004 | INSIDE OUT

From the Regions continued from page 7
> Northern
Building capacity
> Far North Coast Development Day
Staff from DoCS’ Far North Coast and the Shared
Vision Aboriginal Corporation Inc co-sponsored a highly
successful Community Development Day in Lismore in
February. Around 130 Indigenous staff from government
and non-government agencies attended. With an address
from National Aboriginal leader Mick Dodson, the day was
organised as part of DoCS’ strategy to develop leadership
and community capacity-building skills under the Yareka
initiative.
> New Centre for Children & Young People
On 20 February, 10 DoCS staff from Northern Region
attended a one-day conference at Southern Cross
University to mark the opening of the Centre for Children
and Young People. The Centre will undertake research,
education and advocacy with particular emphasis on the
needs of children in rural Australia. The conference was
addressed by Dr Tony Vinson and Dr Judy Cashmore and
chaired by journalist Geraldine Doogue. DoCS is already
seeking to work with the new Centre to look at the needs
of children involved in protracted care matters in the
Children’s Court.
> Supported
playgroups make
a difference
Raising awareness
about the way supported
playgroups can make a
positive difference to
families with young children
was the focus of a major
conference hosted by DoCS in late February. Speaking at the
opening of the New England Supported Playgroup
Conference in Armidale, DoCS Director Partnership and
Planning, Ms Pam Brunner said there were nine supported
playgroups funded by DoCS/Families First in the region,
including Aboriginal supported playgroups at Glen Innes,
Quirindi and Tingha. About 75 people attended the two-day
conference, including local supported playgroup staff and
playgroup representatives from Dubbo, the NSW Mid North
Coast and Far North Coast. The keynote speaker, Professor
Peter Jones, Director of Newcastle University’s Department
of Rural Health, spoke on “Understanding your child’s
developmental stage to try and understand and enjoy how
they behave”. DoCS Aboriginal Community Development
Officer for the New England area, Daniel Teece Johnson, also
presented at the conference and was the key organiser.
The Community Development Day was organised as part of DoCS’
strategy to develop leadership and community capacity-building
skills under the Yareka initiative.
8
> Hunter and Central Coast
Help where needed
> Engaging communities
The Central Coast Community Congress held in March
focused on community engagement – building community
partnerships and nurturing community-building initiatives.
Attended by more than 200 delegates, key themes explored
included building resilient and sustainable communities,
strengthening communities and community capacity building,
asset-based community development, and social enterprise
and community-business partnerships. The Congress
included keynote speakers from both Australia and overseas
as well as an opportunity to showcase local innovative work
and projects – such as the Fridge Door Project (pictured
right). DoCS contributed $10,000 for the event and joining
several local councils and other agencies in organising
the gathering.
> Help at home
Staff and volunteers of UnitingCare Burnside’s “New Steps
Home Visiting Program” have provided support for more than
140 Central Coast parents in the past seven months and
there’s more support on the way following the allocation of
$1 million over three years by DoCS through Families First.
New Steps has been providing vital support for families and
Continued on page 9
INSIDE OUT | May/June 2004 | | www.community.nsw.gov.au

carers in their homes since August last year through the
employment of professionals and trained volunteers offering
friendship, parenting tips and practical support, particularly
to families with children aged under two years.
> Worker caring for Aboriginal mothers and babies
Aboriginal families in the Wyong and Gosford region are
benefiting from the arrival of an Aboriginal Mothers and
Babies Worker – a position funded by DoCS. The position
is based at the Yerin Aboriginal Health Services Eleanor
Duncan Health Centre and provides timely intervention
and support to families during the perinatal and postnatal
period. The position is responsible for the Aboriginal
Maternal and Newborn Health Project, which is designed
to support Aboriginal women and their families attending
ante-natal care, admitted for delivery and postnatal care
for up to six weeks, or until linked with other support
services such as child health services or the home visiting
program. The $221,400 DoCS-funded initiative will improve
collaboration and coordination between Central Coast
services involved in supporting Aboriginal families.
> Newcastle foster carer recognised
When Valencia Ashbourne first became a foster carer in 1964,
man was yet to land on the moon. Forty-years later, the
Newcastle foster carer and a recipient of the 2004 Order of
Australia Medal (OAM) is one of the Hunter’s most regarded
foster carers and has played a key role in providing support to
foster carers in the region. Her contribution to the community
was officially recognised when DoCS presented Valencia with
an official letter of recognition from the NSW Minister for
Community Services, Carmel Tebbutt. Valencia established the
Newcastle/Lake Macquarie Foster Carers Association in 1978,
the longest running Regional Faster Care Support Group in
NSW. She served as President of this group for 13 years, until
2002, and was also President of the NSW Foster Carers
Association in 1994. Valencia and her husband Brian (pictured
above) became foster carers with Centacare in 1964. Their
eldest foster child is now 40 years old and their family
includes 14 grandchildren from their adopted child and two
long-term foster children.
> Hunter and Central Coast
The New Steps program is designed to help parents and carers
enjoy the rewards and experiences of raising a child, and find ways
to cope with the demands of a growing child.
Giving kids a good start
> Clipper Road upgrade
Clipper Road Child Care Centre in East Nowra will receive a
major upgrade following funding announced in March. Oneoff
funding of up to $120,000 from DoCS will allow the
Clipper Road Child Care Centre to meet previous
commitments as well as progressively undergo significant
improvements. Priority will be given to key refurbishment
projects including a sandpit cover, upgraded bottle
preparation and nappy change areas, a shaded outdoor
play area, new screens and new doors as well as upgraded
on-site security. The Clipper Road Child Care Centre is a
community based childcare centre managed by Illawarra
Area Child Care Ltd and is licensed by DoCS to provide care
for 40 children.
> Volunteer home visitors
Parents of young children throughout Southern NSW will
benefit from new funding to establish four separate
Families First Volunteer Home Visiting Services in the
Eurobodalla, Bega Valley, Cooma-Monaro and Queanbeyan
areas. The funding, which totals $532,000, is made up of
four separate grants from DoCS over 30 months. Local
organisation, Campbell Page, was awarded the contract to
provide volunteer home visiting services to work with local
families in these areas. Volunteers for these services are
being sought and training will begin soon.
> Southern
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NSW Department of Community Services | | May/June 2004 | INSIDE OUT

10
> Out-of-Home Care News
Wanted: Pacific
carers in south west
Members of Pacific communities gather with DoCS’ Pacific staff
to learn about foster caring.
> Pacific community leaders and DoCS recently
joined forces to recruit more Pacific foster carers in
Sydney’s south west.
DoCS hosted a special meeting of community
leaders from Maori, Samoan,Tongan, Fijian, Cook
Islands and Niue communities at the Campbelltown
Community Services Centre (CSC) in February to talk
about the importance of foster caring in the lives of
Pacific children.
The initiative was the brainchild of Steve Yatman
and Tamena Yarek from DoCS Metro South West’s
Out-of-Home Care team and is recognition of the
need to place Pacific children in out-of-home care
with appropriate families.There has been a significant
increase during the past two years of Pacific children
in care – from 29 in 2001 to 42 in 2002.
Steve and Tamena worked with DoCS caseworkers
Katalina Lisone and ‘Isileli Tu’itavuki (Tonga) from
Campbelltown CSC, Ilaitia Rabuka (Fiji) from
Ingleburn CSC,Tilifaiva Aii (Samoa) from the Helpline
and Tangi Adams (Maori/Cook Islands) to reach the
Pacific community.
“To help recruit carers we asked community
leaders to select Steering Committee representatives
to help support recruitment,” explained DoCS’
Katalina Lisone. “The Committee will meet regularly
and form strategies to recruit carers.”
“Response and feedback on the meeting was
good, and the community leaders were impressed
with what they heard on the day and were willing to
nominate representatives from their communities to
serve on the Pacific Foster Care Steering Committee,”
Katalina said. A
Reforms for
Intercountry Adoptions
Intercountry adoption services in NSW
will be reformed under a proposal by DoCS to
streamline processes, revise fees, and to allow
accreditation of organisations to provide
intercountry adoption services.
DoCS Director, Adoptions and Permanent
Care Services, Mary Griffin, said part of the
proposed reforms would allow non-government
organisations to provide intercountry
adoptions services in NSW. “To date, DoCS
is the sole provider of intercountry adoption
services in NSW,” Ms Griffin said.
Under the accreditation proposal, any
organisation interested in providing
intercountry adoptions services would need
to receive accreditation by the Office of the
Children’s Guardian, under the Adoption
Act 2000.
“It is envisaged that accreditation would
be for a minimum of five years. During this
period performance assessments and audits
would be conducted to ensure standards of
service provision are being met.”
Ms Griffin said DoCS is also putting in
place initiatives to streamline the application,
assessment and approvals processes for
intercountry adoptions.
“We are also looking at ways to make
training for prospective adoptive parents
more flexible. Assessment and training
requirements for parents embarking on
second and later adoptions will be minimised,
in recognition of the experience they have
already gained.”
It is proposed that fees for intercountry
adoptions will increase to $9,700 for a first
adoption and $6,900 for any further adoptions.
A copy of the proposal is available on
DoCS website, www.community.nsw.gov.au.
Foster Carer networks
Looking for foster care events and
networks in your region? Then go to the
website of the Foster Care Association (NSW)
Inc at www.fcansw.org.au. The Foster Care
Association’s newsletter, Fostering Today,
includes an events list for NSW of training and
information dates, support group contacts and
meeting dates by region. A
INSIDE OUT | May/June 2004 | | www.community.nsw.gov.au

Mark’s partnership vision:
“Seeing a service that works”
Mark Shervashidze, DoCS
Director of Partnership
and Planning.
> Mark Shervashidze
is not just a name or
a signature to
communities in the
vast western reaches
of NSW.As Director
of Partnership
and Planning (DPP –
one of three in DoCS’
Western Region), he
is a familiar face at
community meetings.
Mark manages the
planning, funding and
purchasing of
community services in
towns as diverse and
remote as Walgett, Bourke,Wilcannia and
Brewarrina.
“I do a lot of work with Aboriginal
Community Working Parties in
the Murdi Paaki Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander
Commission (ATSIC) region.
I travel to meetings and provide
advice from the perspective of
DoCS and discuss service
proposals,” said Mark.
Mark’s role focuses heavily
on community consultation to
determine the needs of a
community – leading to ideas
about services that might work and then
making them a reality.
“Seeing the end result – a service that is
funded and really works following a
consultation process – is a real high point of
the job. However, the process can often take
a long time … sometimes is takes a while to
engage a community and have a robust
discussion to ensure we develop an
appropriate service model with sustainable
solutions,” said Mark.
As DPP he is a negotiator, a diplomat and
a prophet of partnership. He also holds
responsibility for approving the licensing of
Mark’s role focuses
on community
consultation –
leading to ideas
about services
that might work
and then making
them a reality.
children’s services and is a DoCS Disaster
Recovery Manager.
An example of Mark’s partnership approach
in action is the recent re-launch of a youth services
program in Wilcannia. Back in July 2001,
this community lost its youth services when the
auspice body at the time could not continue.
Following many months of discussion with
the Wilcannia Community Working Party,
Wilcannia Aboriginal Lands Council, Central
Darling Shire Council and potential service
providers, the Rivertowns Community
Facilitator for Wilcannia presented a proposal
for a trial program.
“We agreed to trial a school holiday youth
service in September 2003 which used a
coordinator and community trainees.The Maari
Ma Aboriginal Health Corporation administered
the service while the Rivertowns Community
Facilitator supervised the program.
“It was very successful with
up to 60 children attending and
led to a regular after school
program.We’ve just completed
negotiations for DoCS to
reactivate recurrent funding
for youth services in Wilcannia
again.”
The partnership vision
continues as Mark is currently
negotiating with the NSW
Department of Sport,Tourism
and Recreation and the NSW Premier’s
Department to appoint a Senior Youth Project
Officer to oversee the coordination and
delivery of services for young people in
Wilcannia – ensuring a sustainable future for
funded programs.
..................................................
Mark Shervashidze began in community services
as a manager for disability services. He has worked in
Strategic Planning for Disabilities on the Central
Coast and spent four years at DoCS’ head office as a
Senior Project Officer and Policy Officer. He has also
worked for the Office of Community Housing. A
> From the field
11
NSW Department of Community Services | | May/June 2004 | INSIDE OUT

Research
Swapping notes with early
childhood expert
Dr Ron Lally,
Co-Director of
the WestEd
Centre for
Child and
Family
Studies,
California
12
> “It’s not too late to
rewire a child’s brain if
they are older than 15
months – intervention
can still make a big difference,”
said international
early childhood
expert Dr Ron Lally,
during a seminar for
DoCS staff in March.This was one of many views
and insights Dr Lally shared during his second
visit to DoCS.
DoCS’ Centre for Parenting and Research
invited him back to work with the Child Protection
and Early Intervention Directorate to build on
the professional advice he provided last year.
Discussions focused on child
welfare reform and recent policy
recommendations made to the
US Government.
Describing the value of early
intervention, Dr Lally gave an
example of a 20-month-old child
who was about to be thrown out of a childcare
centre due to violent behaviour towards other
children. Observation by a professional both in
the centre and at home showed that the child’s
siblings were using the child “as a football”, kicking
and punching him as he went past.
“The child’s brain was wired to believe that
all other children were a threat and that he
needed to defend himself,” Dr Lally said.
Through intervention at the centre, the child
eventually learned not to lash out at other children.
He gradually learned to interact with
them and was allowed to remain in childcare.
Dr Lally talked about the positive role of
childcare in prevention and early intervention.
He said quality care was provided in safe, interesting
and intimate settings where children had
the time and opportunity to establish and sustain
secure and trusting relationships with other
children and care-givers.
We find that parents
respond better when
they understand why
their children are
behaving a certain way.
“Research indicates that the strongest effects
of high-quality childcare are found for children
from families with the fewest resources and
under the greatest stress.Yet these children are
least likely to receive it,” Dr Lally said.
“High-quality pre-school for low-income
children shows markedly higher rates of cognitive
development and growth in school readiness
skills. It has also been found to reduce antisocial
behaviour, conduct disorders and crime,” he said.
Dr Lally also talked about effective parenting
programs and the importance of supporting
fathers. He said many fathers benefited from
understanding more about their child’s development
and how they mastered skills.
Dr Lally said parenting programs are effective
when they teach parents about the
different developmental stages of
children. He gave an example of a
father who thought his baby was
challenging him by holding up his
fist.The child was in fact experiencing
an age-related reflex.
“We find that parents respond better when
they understand why their children are behaving
a certain way. Being a good parent is like being a
good waiter: you don’t want to be too intrusive
or too stand-offish.You need to learn how to
read the cues,” he said.
Dr Lally said he admired DoCS for using its
funding to pioneer new pathways in the area of
early intervention and prevention.
“You will be inventing something different
[in NSW] and people will be looking to you,”
he said.
..................................................
Dr Lally is currently Co-Director of the WestEd
Centre for Child and Family Studies in Sausalito,
California.He is also one of the founders and is on
the Board of Directors of the Washington-based ZERO
TO THREE:National Centre for Infants,Toddlers
and Families. A
INSIDE OUT | May/June 2004 | | www.community.nsw.gov.au

Breaking Ground
Setting the stage for
Central Coast youth
> The stage is set for young people at risk on the Central
Coast as they prepare for a drama production and two video
productions – all part of a Better Futures initiative which aims
to increase the effectiveness of services for vulnerable young
people across NSW.
“Key roles on stage and screen, and behind the scenes will
be played by 12-17 year olds who are at risk of disengaging
from school or who have already done so,” explained Tom
Mangan, DoCS Director Partnerships and Planning (Central
Coast) for the Hunter-Central Coast Region.About 18 to 20
young people are involved in each production.
The New World Theatre Company from Newcastle has
been contracted to work with young people to put on the
three productions – in Umina,Wyoming and San Remo – at a
cost of $7,000 each. One will be staged, the other two will be
video productions.
“The young people themselves will shape the content of
the productions on issues that are important to young
people,” Tom said.
The New World Theatre Company was established by a
team of education, social welfare and performing arts
professionals to offer early intervention activities.
The program began in late 2003 with a major challenge
getting young people to participate and work with each other
in this unusual setting.
The videos will include “vox pop” interviews and
dramatisation of the issues that arise.They will be screened at
forums attended by the producers, their parents and friends
and other community members.
From their first meeting to opening night, the participants
will learn about all aspects of theatre or video production
including scripting, set and costume design, sound, lighting,
choreography, direction and working to camera.They will
also learn about the business aspects of theatre and video production
including budgets, promotions and ticket pricing. A
> Focus on
Child Protection
New Childcare
Regulations
A new Childcare Regulation will be
proclaimed to take effect from July 1. The
regulation will replace the existing regulation
proclaimed in 1996 and follows an extensive
review and consultation with childcare
providers.
Major changes in the new Regulation
cover group sizes for children, safety
requirements including safety glass, child
sleeping areas, authorised supervisors and
video surveillance of children.
Much of the discussion around the review
has focussed on what is the appropriate ratio
of staff to children, particularly for children
under two. The current ratio is 1:5.
“The Government is not prepared to lower
the staff to child ratio for children under two
at this time. While a lower ratio could improve
the quality of care, the risk of reducing the
number of places is too great to justify a move
at this time,” NSW Minister for Community
Services, Ms Carmel Tebbutt said.
“Independent analysis on the effects of a
lower ratio could result in about 600 places
being withdrawn from supply – this is about
5-6 per cent of all licensed places for children
under two.”
The Regulation will change the maximum
group sizes for children aged three to six
years in centre-based care from 25 to 20 and
from 10 to eight for children aged under two
years. Services will have until 1 June 2006
to comply. A
13
NSW Department of Community Services | | May/June 2004 | INSIDE OUT

Partnership
Helping Vietnamese communities
> A new resource for helping Vietnamese
families cope with the problem of drugs has
been developed through a partnership between
DoCS, the NSW Premier’s Department, Family
Drug Support, South Western Sydney Area
Health Service, the Vietnamese Women’s
Association and key members of the
Cabramatta Vietnamese community.
A video “Understanding Family Drug Issues”
and a bi-lingual booklet were launched in
March to help families learn more about the
impact of drugs.They tell the story of Cuong, a
young Vietnamese man whose battle with drugs
affects not only him but his relationship with
family and friends.
The booklet provides information about the
impact of drugs and the cycle of changes that
drug users experience. It also includes
information on the Needle Syringe Program,
overdosing and how to get help.
Marilyn Hoey, DoCS’ Manager Drug
Summit said the project was a good example of
how DoCS can use the knowledge of local
communities to address
difficult issues.
“This video helps break
the cycle of shame and
silence by showing how a
normal Vietnamese family
was affected by the son’s drug
use and how they learnt new
coping skills.”
“The script for the video
was written in conjunction
with the Vietnamese community
to ensure it was culturally
appropriate.The booklet was translated by a
member of the local community,” she said.
The video was funded by DoCS through the
National Illicit Drugs Strategy and sponsored by
the Australian Government Department of
Family and Community Services.The booklet
was funded by the Premier’s Department.
The video and booklet is being distributed
to Vietnamese community centres, local
libraries and community health centres. A
> News in Brief
14
Aboriginal Family
Network
More than half a million dollars is
available to local organisations to improve
Aboriginal services in Sydney’s West. DoCS
Metro West Regional Director, Margaret
Oldfield, said up to $600,000 in annual
funding will be available to develop an
Aboriginal Family Network as part of a
new approach to improve services and
support to Aboriginal children, young
people and families across Western
Sydney. “DoCS is establishing a new
holistic planning approach for Aboriginal
services resulting in better services and
support to local Aboriginal children, young
people and families through an improved
network of services,” Ms Oldfield said.
“The new approach evolves from the
Western Sydney Aboriginal Chid Youth and
Family Plan 2003-2006 and follows a
number of community consultations about
Aboriginal services in the area.
Expressions of interest closed in April.
Stepping off
the roundabout
Supporting and improving intensive
family-based services, the Intensive
Family Services 5th National Practice
Symposium was held 1-2 April, attracting
200 delegates. Intensive family based
services work with families in crisis,
where a child is likely to be removed,
unless significant changes are made to
family functioning and parenting.
Convened jointly by the Spastic Centre of
NSW and UnitingCare Burnside, the event
was supported with $3,000 in DoCS funding.
The Symposium provided a forum for
discussion of practice and policy issues,
and carried the theme “In partnership
with families: stepping off the roundabout”.
The services adopt a “strengths
based” therapeutic model where a professional
caseworker assists the family to
stabilise the crisis that puts the child at
risk, and develop skills and resources to
face future crises. DoCS provides funding
for six intensive family services in NSW –
a Burnside service at Campbelltown, an
Arabic service at Bankstown and four
Aboriginal services at Casino, Redfern,
Bourke and Wollongong. The Bourke and
Wollongong services are being developed
and established under DoCS’ Yareka family
preservation policy framework. Debbie
Faulkner, DoCS’ Project Manager,
Intensive Family Based Services, presented
on Aboriginal services.
INSIDE OUT | May/June 2004 | | www.community.nsw.gov.au

Billboard
28-29 May
Foster Care Association (NSW) Inc
State Conference, Sydney
2-4 August
National Child & Family Services
Conference, Sydney
‘Knowledge into Action: Effective Practice
for Child and Family Services
12 August
International Youth Day
21-27 August
Children’s Book Week:Theme “Doorways”
12-18 September
Foster Care Week NSW
29-31 October
Australian Foster Care Association National
Conference, Canberra
Your say …
Inside Out welcomes your feedback and we invite you to
send us your thoughts about this issue – as well as articles
you’d like to see in the future.
Please send letters to the editor to:
Editor, Inside Out, NSW Department of Community Services
Locked Bag 28, Ashfield NSW 1800
> Review
Understanding foster kids’
mental health
DoCS is supporting a longitudinal study examining the impact of
out-of-home care on the mental health and wellbeing of children.
The study - conducted by Michael Tarren-Sweeney at the Centre for
Mental Health Studies (Newcastle University) - is nearing completion
and one component of the study has recently been published in the
Child: Care, Health & Development Journal (March 2004).
“Are foster parents reliable informants of children’s behaviour problems”
was based on research examining the way in which foster parents
identified behavioural problems of children in care, in comparison to
teachers and other alternate care givers.
The results suggested that foster parents of children in long-term
care, and teachers demonstrate moderate to high agreement about the
behavioural problems of children in care. This research was based on a
relatively small sample (47 children in long term foster care aged 5-11
years) and compared similar research and broader studies in the United
States and the United Kingdom.
The current study follows earlier research into the recording of
behavioural problems of children in foster care and the development of
a tool to help assess the mental health and well-being of children in
out-of-home care.
Want to know more? The paper on this research was published
March 2004, Volume 30, No.2 Child:Care, Health & Development
Journal, 2004 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. A
DoCS
farewell
Two senior Executive staff left in
March for personal reasons. Mary-
Jane Clark, Executive Director, Child
Protection & Early Intervention, took
long term sick leave from 15 March
2004 while Rhonda Stien, Executive
Director, Out-of-Home Care, resigned
to establish her own consultancy.
Both staff have worked for DoCS for
more than three years and have made
significant contributions to early
intervention and out-of-home care.
Frances Press, Director, Office of
Child Care, resigned to take up a new
position with the University of Western
Sydney – she left DoCS in late April.
New DoCS website
Looking for information about DoCS?
Then check out the new website at www.community.nsw.gov.au
The new site goes beyond explaining what DoCS does, and provides practical advice and
insight into how DoCS works and a clear explanation of services and support available to
clients and partners. For community partners, the new website provides details about funding
opportunities and Expressions of Interest details, explanations of changes in legislation
and regulations, and our latest policies. The new DoCS website is a handy work tool and daily
resource for anyone working with children and families in NSW.
15
NSW Department of Community Services | | May/June 2004 | INSIDE OUT

Outside Forum
‘Even in the gutter you
can still see the stars’
Rory Jeffes, Chief Executive, CREATE Foundation
We are strong
believers in
participation and
partnership and
work closely with
all the other
stakeholders in the
sector, aiming to
shift the landscape
in improving
outcomes for
young people
in care.
16
> CREATE Foundation
came into existence as a
result of the inspiration of
a group of young people
who were in or ex-care,
who felt passionately
about wanting to make a
difference for future
generations of children
who became involved in
the care system.This passion is what makes
CREATE both a powerful force and drives the
work that we do.
Across Australia today more than
20,000 young people between birth and
18 years are in the care system.Through
no fault of their own, many suffer a
sense of shame, guilt and isolation.
Many are disconnected from their
direct family and extended family
networks.With stability of placements
a real issue many are subjected to
frequent changes in placements.
Life outcomes are severely limited
for these young people, with around
75 per cent not completing their
schooling, 50 per cent unemployed
after leaving care and 35 per cent
involved with Juvenile Justice. It is also
thought that almost half of homeless young
people have a care background.They represent
one of the most marginalised groupings in
Australia today.
The landscape can sometimes look pretty
bleak but – to paraphrase Oscar Wilde – even
in the gutter you can still see the stars. In
partnership with DoCS and the other
stakeholders around NSW, some real and lasting
change is gathering momentum making this a
challenging and exciting time for everyone
involved in supporting children and young
people in care.
Though a national organisation our aim is
to concentrate much of our work at State and
Territory level, aiming to influence and create
change at both policy and operational levels.
We are strong believers in participation and
partnership and work closely with all the other
stakeholders in the sector, aiming to shift the
landscape to improve outcomes for young
people in care.
Our goal is to ensure that children and
young people in care are afforded the same
life opportunities as all young Australians.
What makes CREATE unique is the depth of
participation by children and young people in
care through all aspects of what we do and how
we do it.
....................................
Rory Jeffes has been CEO of CREATE since
February 2003. Previously he was founding CEO of
YouthNet, a web-based information hub for young
people in the UK and was Development Director for
the Prince’s Trust – the charity established by The
Prince of Wales which aims to make a difference to
young people’s lives when they find themselves in
vulnerable situations. For further information on
CREATE Foundation, visit www.create.org.au A
INSIDE OUT | May/June 2004 | | www.community.nsw.gov.au