Kinship Care and Vulnerability in Practice

Understanding Kinship Care in Australia

5b8776d2: Hello and welcome back. I’m Dr Agneiszka, joining you from sunny Brisbane. And as always, I've got Paloma here with me. Paloma, how are you?

Paloma Cesare: Hey Agneiszka—I'm good, I'm good! Somehow managed to wrangle my way through marking and get enough coffee this morning, so that's a win in my books.

5b8776d2: Absolutely, coffee is just...life-saving sometimes. So, today we're digging deeper into kinship care in Australia, which, as we discussed last episode, is really the fastest growing form of out-of-home care. And, you know, it’s not just a statistic—this is the reality for thousands of children and families right now.

Paloma Cesare: Yeah, and it's amazing how it's both formal—meaning there’s a legal process—or totally informal, where families just organise things themselves with no court, no paperwork. In 2016, around 47% of kids in care were in formal kinship care. But honestly, the real number’s probably way higher because so much of it isn't on the books. There was that grandmother in regional Queensland—I’ll never forget her saying, “I never thought my retirement would look like this, but family comes first.” And I mean, that totally sums up what drives kinship carers, right?

5b8776d2: That’s such a powerful quote. I also think it highlights the heart of why kinship care is preferred: children are kept within their extended family, with a sense of belonging and identity. There’s a lot of agreement, both internationally and here, that children really do better when they’re with family or close family friends instead of foster care or residential placements.

Paloma Cesare: And the research backs that up—kids in kinship care usually have better stability, better wellbeing, and they’re able to, you know, hold onto their family relationships, sometimes even sibling groups together. You see less behavioural disruptions and, often, fewer placement changes compared to other types of care.

5b8776d2: Exactly. But—I mean—we should never gloss over the complexity. There are real strengths, but, as we both know from practice and as the reading this week really says, many kinship carers, especially grandmothers, face more vulnerability than foster carers. So let's unpack that in a bit more depth.

Challenges and Needs of Kinship Care Families

Paloma Cesare: Yeah, so let’s talk about what those challenges actually look like. Many of these families are living right on the edge—financially, emotionally, socially. Grandparents, especially, might be on a pension or already retired, suddenly raising little kids—sometimes with only a week’s notice. There are costs for food, school, transport. And then, there’s navigating Centrelink or other government supports, which is, um, how do I say this…well, it’s basically a part-time job in itself.

5b8776d2: That’s so true. Even when there are financial supports technically available, a lot of carers don’t know about them, or they’re not eligible because the arrangement is informal. And then, you overlay that with challenges accessing mental health support, respite services, or even just everyday basics—material aid for things like clothing or bedding if children arrive suddenly, often with nothing.

Paloma Cesare: And I think this is where the difference between formal and informal kinship care really matters. Informal carers—often they’re just sort of left to figure it out alone, with far less support or recognition from the system. I mean, you see systemic inequalities play out everywhere—financially, in legal processes, in service access. The whole thing can feel really isolating.

5b8776d2: That word, 'isolation,' hits home for me. I’ve talked before about how, after migrating here, I sometimes felt totally disconnected. It’s not the same as stepping into a caring role for your grandkids, but that sense of social isolation—being cut off from support networks and community—it’s really real for many kinship carers.

Paloma Cesare: Yeah, and then you throw in the layer of legal issues, like the need to go through court to get formal guardianship, or if parents contest the order—it can drag on for years. There’s that emotional complexity of, you know, caring for your grandkids but also managing sometimes strained, even violent relationships with their biological parents.

5b8776d2: Speaking of complexity, let’s talk through those case studies from the reading—Rachel and Margaret. They really shine a spotlight on how trauma, mental health, and family violence intersect in these families. Like, with Rachel, she’s caring for her daughter’s three children, juggling her own chronic health issues and PTSD, supporting kids with suspected fetal alcohol syndrome—and minimal formal support. There’s trauma across generations, and constant anxiety about keeping the placement stable.

Paloma Cesare: And then Margaret—sixty-eight, living in public housing, caring for four grandchildren, most with extra needs. She’s spent all her retirement savings just to get legal orders, and now she’s facing not only ongoing harassment from her daughter but also violence from one of the children she’s caring for. And still, there’s so little wraparound practical or emotional support. It’s just layers and layers of vulnerability. Can I just say—the system doesn’t make it easy!

5b8776d2: No, it doesn’t. Which makes me wonder—why is it so hard for informal carers, especially, to get help? What are the systemic barriers that keep them at arm’s length? Maybe it’s lack of information, bureaucratic hoops, unclear eligibility. And what are the impacts of that social isolation on the carers’ wellbeing? I think, honestly, it’s easy to underestimate just how much that can wear people down over time.

Paloma Cesare: Absolutely. And let’s not forget, supporting these families isn't just about plugging service gaps but about seeing the person and their lived experience. But—OK, maybe I’ve gone off on a tangent again—should we dig into what can make a difference? Like, how trauma-informed practice can change the game for these families?

Trauma-Informed Practice and Practical Strategies

5b8776d2: Yes, let’s. Trauma-informed care is so much more than a buzzword, right? It’s about recognising the impact trauma has—on both carers and children. The literature talks about the 'three pillars'—so, safety, connections, and emotional regulation. That first step must always be safety, and I think sometimes just making a safety plan together is already making a huge difference for families who’ve lived with unpredictability and violence.

Paloma Cesare: And connections—those relationships—are, well, they're huge. Kids often come into care with fractured or insecure attachments, sometimes having experienced chronic neglect, or even just plain chaos. The relationship between carer and child has to be rebuilt, sometimes from scratch. But carers themselves often have trauma history and can feel pretty overwhelmed or unsupported—so, the support can't only go to the child. You’ve got to work with the carer too.

5b8776d2: Managing emotions is a big one as well. Both for the child—who may be struggling to regulate after trauma—but also for carers, especially if their own history gets triggered by the stress of the caring role or behaviour they're coping with. Honestly, if you don’t address emotional regulation, you can just get this cycle where everyone in the home is dysregulated and burnt out. It’s why access to therapeutic resources for both the child and carer is vital. Though—as our reading points out—referral pathways can be long and specialist services expensive or have waitlists.

Paloma Cesare: Exactly! And then there’s the difficult reality of underreporting—especially around family violence or even adolescent-to-carer aggression. I remember in mental health, seeing so many cases where grandparents were being threatened or even hurt by teens in their care—and not reporting, out of fear the child would be removed or because they thought “I just have to handle this myself.” There’s still so much stigma.

5b8776d2: Yes, and it’s important to acknowledge that many carers tolerate quite a lot before seeking help—maybe too much, because they fear losing the child, or just because, as you said, there’s so much stigma. So, as practitioners, providing clear information early, helping carers access regular supervision and reflective support—it’s non-negotiable. We can’t expect people to shoulder this without professional backup.

Paloma Cesare: Yeah, and I’d add—doing a really holistic assessment up front, looking at physical safety, practical needs, family strengths, not just what’s “wrong” but what’s going well and how we can build on that. Also, connecting families to locally available supports, peer groups if you have them, respite options. And for practitioners—making sure we keep reflecting and stay genuinely present. Supervision is a must, like not negotiable! Because you just can’t do trauma work without reflecting on your own responses.

5b8776d2: That’s it. So—trauma-informed work, in this context, isn’t about fixing everything, but about walking alongside families with empathy, providing clear information, and being realistic about barriers, isn’t it?

Paloma Cesare: Totally. And not forgetting that kinship carers are amazingly resilient and resourceful. But their needs—both practical and emotional—are real. We as a system have to do better at meeting them, not just expecting carers to keep sacrificing, you know?

5b8776d2: Beautifully said, Paloma. I think that wraps it up for today—lots to reflect on, and plenty for us to keep exploring in future episodes. Thanks for such a thoughtful conversation, as always.

Paloma Cesare: Thanks, Agneiszka, and thank you to everyone listening! We'll be back next week with more critical reflection. Take care, and bye for now.

5b8776d2: Take care, Paloma. Bye, everyone!