ShaneAboriginal carerShane and Anne’s first, and only, fostering experience nearlyfailed before it began. Their story reads like an instructionmanual of how not to begin foster care.Still coming to terms with their own inability to have children,they decided they would try fostering. Anne is not Aboriginal,but both she and Shane felt that fostering Aboriginal childrencould help break the cycles of both discrimination anddispossession they might otherwise face.Shane works for a government department on Aboriginal issues,and is the chairperson of an Aboriginal organisation. <strong>Foster</strong>ingwas another way to contribute to his community, and share hisskills. ‘I have the talents of a Western world understanding, andI can use them to the benefit of my people.’Shane admits now, however, that it was a shock when twochildren first came into their care four years ago. The couple were approved ascarers after psychological and environmental assessments, but ‘we were still lookingat trying to have our own children, and were in a state of sadness’.A call came from their state department of community services. ‘They gave us somebrief information. “It’s a boy and a girl. Do you want to take them?” It was like ablind date.’ Shane and Anne had put themselves down for long term care, but thiswas a short term emergency. They agreed to do it.‘So they drop them off – and somehow now there’s two girls, instead of a boy anda girl - and give us a little piece of paper which just says their names, ages, andmaybe a few other details. The kids had no personal items.’‘There’s a 4 year old and a 3 month old baby. They say “Have you got baby gear?”We didn’t, and “By the way, they need to be taken to the doctor’s to be checkedup.”’ There was no Medicare card, so a private doctor was not an option.After two weeks, Shane and Anne rang the department and said they could not doit, and returned the children. ‘We just felt we weren’t getting the support necessary.We’d have expected a list of phone numbers – Parent Helplines, that sort of thing,but we didn’t even get that.’‘But I think the main thing was it just wasn’t the right timing. My wife was comingto the realisation, through these foster kids, and another IVF cycle that didn’t work,that we really weren’t having our own kids. It was a very emotionally draining time.’After the children left, there was another twist. Shane and Anne changed theirminds, and wanted the children back. ‘That caused a lot of problems, and there wasa thorough investigation. It took two weeks, but we got the kids back and they’rewith us now.’Over the next two years the children settled in, and were joined by a third sibling,a newborn. After extensive reviews, the placements were changed to long term andthe children will now remain with Shane and Anne until they turn 18.‘The kids are comfortable and fully adjusted. They’re all calling us Mum and Dadnow. We just let them decide when they were ready for that. And they’re very wellaccepted in our whole family; they’ve been taken on as nieces and grandchildren.’Shane says the system has improved in his state in the few years he has beenfostering. ‘<strong>Foster</strong> parents can now access services, and goods that you might need.’The children go to an Aboriginal childcare centre, get Aboriginal support at school,attend events organised by an Aboriginal child and family support agency, and aretaken by Shane and Anne to the former mission where Shane’s parents come from.They also have department-facilitated contact with their birth parents, who nowhave ten children, all in care.Shane believes ‘It’s a basic thing we all should do – care for our children, and carefor our community, as a parent, grandparent or foster parent.’38
ABSTUDYABSTUDY is available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander secondary students who are studying anapproved secondary course.If your child in care is a primary school student she or he may also be eligible for ABSTUDY if they areaged 14 years or older on 1 January in the year of study.ABSTUDY is also available to eligible full-time New Apprentices.ABSTUDY may also be available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who go on to furtherstudy after leaving school.If you have a young person in care, she or he may be eligible for the ABSTUDY Living Allowance,either at the ‘standard’ or ‘away’ rate, if they have reached the minimum school leaving age in yourstate or territory.For more information, phone Centrelink on 13 1021TTY 1800 810 586Multilingual Services 12 1202 or visit the website atwww.centrelink.gov.auAboriginal and Torres Strait Islanderorganisations with specialist interest in caringfor childrenSecretariat of NationalAboriginal and Islander ChildCare (SNAICC)Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander Services Unit(<strong>Australian</strong> Capital Territory)Aboriginal Child, Family &Community Care(New South Wales)SA Aboriginal Family SupportServices(South Australia)Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre(TAC)(Tasmania)Victorian Aboriginal Child CareAgency - VACCA(Victoria)Yorganop Childcare AboriginalCorporation(Western Australia)Suite 8, First Floor252-260 St Georges RdNorth Fitzroy VIC 3068Phone 03 9489 8099Email snaicc@vicnet.net.auWebsite www.snaicc.asn.au<strong>Of</strong>fice for <strong>Children</strong>, Youth and Family SupportLevel 7, 11 Moore StreetCanberra ACT 2601Phone 02 6205 4798 or 1300 556 729 (After hours)Fax 02 6207 6364Email ocyfs@act.gov.auWebsite www.dhcs.act.gov.au/ocyfsState Secretariat, AbSec - NSWLevel 7, 104 Bathurst StreetSydney NSW 2001Phone 02 9264 0088 Fax 02 9264 0090Email admin@absec.org.auWebsite www@absec.org.au134 Waymouth StreetAdelaide SA 5000Phone 08 8212 1112 Fax 08 8212 1123Email afss@afss.com.au7a Emily RoadWest Moonah TAS 7009Phone 03 6272 7099 Fax 03 6273 0869Email childrenscentre@tacinc.com.au139 Nicholson StreetEast Brunswick VIC 3057Phone 03 8388 1855 Fax 03 8388 1898Email vacca@vacca.org1320 Hay StWest Perth WA 6005Phone 08 9321 9090 Fax 08 9321 9019Email admin@yorganop.org.auWebsite www.yorganop.org.au39
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