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Humans of Care

The child protection and out-of-home care system affects thousands of young people, parents, carers and workers across Australia. But behind every case file, every policy decision, every placement, there are real people with real lives. People who know what it feels like when the system gets it right. And what it costs when it gets it wrong.

Humans of Care is a collection of stories from people who've been part of this system. Young people who grew up in care. Parents who've had children removed. Foster carers navigating policies that don't always make sense. Workers trying to do good work within structures that often get in the way.

We're grateful to everyone who trusted us with their stories. Their courage in sharing something so personal makes this work possible. Below you'll find each of their stories, followed by an article drawing together the key insights about what relational care looks like in practice and what gets lost when we forget it.

Below we have shared these stories.

 

Stories

Humans of Care Article

This article draws together the key insights from this first round of stories from our continuing ‘Humans of Care’ series. It explores emerging themes: how rigid policies isolate rather than protect, how judgement from the system undermines parents and carers, why young people need permission to simply be kids, and how good work often requires workers to push back against the systems they operate within.

Read the article here. 

Safe sharing

This page is here to create a safe environment for sharing. It is not a live moderated forum, and stories will be uploaded after being reviewed.  We acknowledge the courage it takes to share your stories with others and thank you for your willingness to do so. Whether you are submitting a story for this page, or reading those of others, it is important to look after yourself in the process.

If you would like to submit a story, you can do so here. 

If you feel distressed or would like some support after submitting or reading a story, we encourage you to reach out to Lifeline on 13 11 14. This service is available 24 hours a day.