Myles Ahead, Advancing Child & Youth Mental Health’s Post

REGISTER NOW! https://bit.ly/48iBVeI The federal government recently updated their kinship approval standards, significantly lowering the requirements for kin approval in an attempt to support more children to be placed with kin. Join thought leaders in kinship from around the country to learn tactical next steps on how your agency can make a shift toward being kin-first.

Children and young people placed in Alternative Care Arrangements like hotels and caravan parks are missing out on the relationships they need to thrive. There are many insightful and heartbreaking observations from kids placed in ACAs, in this final report of the Special Inquiry from the Office of the Advocate for Children and Young People (ACYP). Their voices reflect the extent to which these children and young people are missing out on safety, stability and love. For example, interactions with ACA workers are described as “an exchange only focused on gaining access to basic necessities, such as food, phone credit or transport, rather than a kind, caring and supportive relationship.” One NGO submission to the inquiry observed that adolescence is a time for consolidating life skills but “instead of being in a stable, secure environment where they’re feeling that they’re loved and connected, these kids are sitting in a motel room where they’re consolidating the idea that they are unloved.” The report notes a young person who, willing to participate in a private hearing for the Special Inquiry, later chose not to unless it led to a change in her current placement. Here is a young person trying to use any leverage available to get out of their ACA. 🙏 Thank you to the ACYP for continuing to give a voice to these young people and pushing for system change. As the report concludes: “There is an opportunity to reimagine how we support children, young people and their families to thrive – jointly with government, non-government and services that support children and young people. This process should be done with the outcomes of children and young people as the focus, and in a manner which takes account of their experiences.” Once again, we have a clear indicator of why we urgently need a complete transformation of NSW child protection and OOHC into a Child Connection System, with relationships at the centre: ⭐ Where children and young people in child protection and out-of-home care can have meaningful, enduring and genuine relationships with the adults who are raising them.   ⭐ Where carers and care workers are actively supported in building meaningful relationships with children and families.  ⭐ Where there are strong community networks with the resources they need to deliver relational programs to children and families, so children don’t need to enter the child protection system. Stay tuned for our upcoming report, in partnership with the James Martin Institute for Public Policy, which examines how to transform NSW child protection and OOHC into a Child Connection System, placing relationships at the centre. #childconnectionsystem Zoë Robinson Shannon Longhurst Una O'Neill Allan M.

Every child and every parent in England should have access to #FamilyLearning. We’re asking the government to commit to a series of policies to create the necessary system change. Read the #FamilyLearningFiveAsks: https://lnkd.in/ecuT8D2n

Preparing for our needs as we age is an issue everyone faces. This article about how the UK is grappling with the issue has a number of similarities to what is happening in the US as well. https://lnkd.in/dbqtHM36

I have seen a similar model evolve in the US, although the change is with these additional medical and supportive (PT/OT, etc.) resources being attached directly to and co-located with Assisted Living, rather than requiring transportation to another clinic. Highly localized services/support makes sense both for the residents in offering easier/more direct access to a range of care options as well as companies offering not just #PrimaryCare, but other services as well to a population that will have higher utilization of those services, so their practices become more sustainable as well. As the acuity levels in #AssistedLiving continue to rise, this multidisciplinary approach to support of these residents starts to look more like another model that has fallen out of fashion, but is effective for those who need it, and is certainly nothing new: #SkilledNursing, where the efficacy of bringing these services together is well-proven. What is new(er) here is more directly wrapping these services closely around residents at lower acuity levels, and it will be interesting to see if/how it improves resident health and length of stay. #healthcare #aging #seniorliving

Families in EI are staying on waitlists for far too long! Even if you have done so before, please contact your legislator(s) now and ask them to ask for and approve a total of $40M in additional funding for Early Intervention this spring to help ensure equitable access to necessary developmental services and supports that are known to dramatically improve a child’s lifelong trajectory.  https://lnkd.in/gdSremBv https://lnkd.in/g55RAGGb

If you had a chance to participate in parliament, would you take it? Please participate in this short survey and share your views on how to best make #opengovernmentparterships a reality.

Thanks to frontline communities and progressive legislators, we achieved major victories during the recent short session. Read our 2024 Legislative Session recap now: https://buff.ly/3Tq58y1 #HealthyHomes #climatesolutions

Read this short recap of how my organization fared this legislative session.

August 2024 Changes to the ACT The ACT already has a paper and digital option. Both options are changing to a different version next year. Here's what families need to know. https://lnkd.in/ezfMjTwq