PRESS RELEASE: NEW YOUTH-FRIENDLY ANIMATIONS BUILD SELF-RESILIENCE SKILLS AMONGST KIDS IN CARE BEYOND PANDEMIC

NEW YOUTH-FRIENDLY ANIMATIONS BUILD
SELF-RESILIENCE SKILLS AMONGST KIDS IN CARE
FOR TODAY & BEYOND THE PANDEMIC

Over 699* children and young people residing in the Australian Capital Territory are currently living in out-of-home care and facing extraordinary challenges due to the global pandemic impacting their access to services and resources.

CREATE invited a representative group of young people to share insights on how life has been during the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions (2020) and to share about some of the biggest challenges they’d faced.

CREATE’s Chief Executive, Ms Jacqui Reed shared that, “Through CREATE’s independent consultations with children and young people in care, we are aware that that maintaining sibling relationships is incredibly important, with the latest report showing that siblings were the most frequently contacted family member.”

“They are facing a real risk of social isolation and a sense of loss of connection at this time. With this in mind, our team responded to the urgent need for unique and tailored information to be readily available to vulnerable young people by developing online resources in the form of a captivating animated series, featuring the CREATE mascot, Gus the Gorilla.”

CREATE began developing resources addressing topics which are big issues facing young people, such as sustainable approaches to connecting with other people when you feel disconnected, and techniques to cultivate self-resilience.

The video animations were developed in consultation with CREATE’s young consultants, aged up to 18 and currently in care, to provide their expert opinion on this project across Victorian and other advisory group members to assist the ACT region having the most accurate and appropriate, child-friendly, relevant material achievable.

CREATE Foundation is the national consumer body representing the voices of children and young people with an out-of-home care experience (including kinship care, foster care and residential care). CREATE develops policy and research to report on and advocate for a better care system.

The overall series is known as “Gus Talks” and in these new episodes, CREATE’s purple gorilla mascot, Gus, discusses ways children can stay connected with their siblings when they might not be able to see them face-to-face or live with them. During COVID-19 global pandemic, many children and young people in care have been unable to see their siblings due to restrictions.

The enduring themes are: Connecting When Disconnected, and Building Self-sufficient Resilience.

The information carries the message that children and young people are not alone, and has practical approaches to living in the COVID-19 landscape and beyond. Further animations will be developed to provide resources on other important wellbeing topics.
A professional animation studio, Suitcase Murphy was engaged to produce high quality videos for the benefit of children and young people living in out-of-home care.

Visit here to view the videos:
Building self-resilience: https://youtu.be/0AwQQeGZcys
Connecting When Disconnected: https://youtu.be/Y-stDOefKd8

For more information please visit the CREATE website at www.create.org.au

CREATE is grateful for the support of this important project, possible by MLA, Chief Minister Andrew Barr, leader of the Australian Capital Territory Government.

For further comment from CREATE’s Chief Executive, Ms Jacqui Reed, and/or a young person with care experience contact Leigh White, CREATE Communications Advisor, via (m) 0431 932 122 or [email protected]

Sources:
(*) Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2021). Child protection Australia 2019-20. Child Welfare series no. 74. Cat. no. CWS 78. AIHW. https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/c3b0e267-bd63-4b91-9ea6-9fa4d14c688c/aihw-cws-78.pdf.aspx?inline=true

Key statistics on the care sector in Australia:
1. 44,906 children were in out-of-home care across Australia as at June 30, 2019 (AIHW 2020)
2. Young people in out-of-home care are 16 times more likely to be under a youth justice order than the general population
3. 35% of young people experience homelessness within the first year of leaving care
4. 46% of males have been involved with the justice system since leaving care
5. 29% of young people who have left care or preparing to leave care are unemployed
6. 36% children and young people in care do not live with any of their siblings
7. 35% of young people in care have five or more caseworkers during their time in care
8. 67% of young people in care over the age of 15 are not aware of having a leaving care plan
McDowall, J. J. (2018). Out-of-home care in Australia: Children and young people’s views after five years of National Standards. Sydney: CREATE Foundation.