Foster Care Reform Program in Australia

A former-abused foster child is assisting with this pilot program.

“IT is a testament to Lizzie Jasperson’s strength that her soft hazel eyes are free of heartache.

A loving mum with a swag of study under her belt, many would never guess that by the age of 13, Miss Jasperson had been through 26 foster homes and a whirlwind of pain, beginning with sexual abuse at the hands of carers and culminating in her own drug and alcohol abuse after her father was jailed.

“I was really down and out, I had dropped out of school and I was homeless, on and off the streets,” Miss Jasperson, 23, said. “I didn’t have my family to help me. I felt abandoned and left out. I was really distraught.”

Her foster care journey started when she was only 10 days old and it took 16 years for her to see light at the end of the tunnel, when she met her “aunty” at a Far Northern church.

There are currently 923 Far Northern children in foster care and 35 per cent of them have been in six different homes within about five years, but Miss Jasperson said it didn’t have to be that way.

The passionate community advocate has thrown her weight behind UnitingCare Community’s First Response Project, a pilot initiative funded by the Department of Child Safety that has been running in the region for 18 months.

“At the end of the day, everyone wants to be loved, everybody needs parental support,” Miss Jasperson said.

“Everyone has the potential to be the best and nothing less and I believe that is what the program can offer.”

The project provides free training for carers who take new foster children into their homes for eight weeks to assess their needs and gather information, enabling better decision-making for stable, longer-term care options.

UnitingCare Community’s senior project worker Akira Ernst said there was a dire need for First Response carers in the Far North to combat emotional difficulties, behaviour problems and poor academic performance.

“It is invaluable to help children in need that have previously experienced a traumatic environment,” she said.

“Superman was raised by foster carers.””

Abused foster child who went through 26 placements saw the light and is now mentor to others

[The Cairns Post 5/8/13 by Caitlyn Guilfoyle]

REFORM Puzzle Piece