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Review
. 2024 Sep 13;21(9):1208.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph21091208.

Understanding the Wellbeing Needs of First Nations Children in Out-of-Home Care in Australia: A Comprehensive Literature Review

Darren Garvey  1 , Ken Carter  1 , Kate Anderson  2 , Alana Gall  3 , Kirsten Howard  4 , Jemma Venables  5 , Karen Healy  5 , Lea Bill  6 , Angeline Letendre  6 , Michelle Dickson  7 , Gail Garvey  1
Affiliations
Review

Understanding the Wellbeing Needs of First Nations Children in Out-of-Home Care in Australia: A Comprehensive Literature Review

Darren Garvey et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Introduction: Despite the increasing overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter respectfully referred to as First Nations) children living in out-of-home care (OOHC) in Australia, little is known about their wellbeing needs. This comprehensive literature review aimed to identify these needs and the features of care required to meet them.

Methods: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, Informit, PsycINFO, and Embase databases and relevant grey literature were searched from inception to December 2023 for articles presenting qualitative accounts and perspectives relevant to the wellbeing needs of First Nations children in OOHC. These included reports from First Nations children in OOHC; First Nations adults with lived experience of OOHC; carers, caseworkers, and organizational stakeholders; and First Nations community members with relevant lived and/or professional experience. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis method for data analysis.

Results: Thirty-five articles (19 peer-reviewed, 16 grey literature) met the inclusion criteria. Our analysis revealed six wellbeing needs of First Nations children in OOHC: Being seen, being heard; a sense of stability; holistic health support; social and cultural connections; culturally safe OOHC providers; and preparedness for transitioning out of care. A range of features of OOHC were also identified as critical for supporting these needs.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that First Nations children in OOHC have unique wellbeing needs in addition to safety, security, and health. Attention to the development and maintenance of social and cultural connections is an important concern that must be addressed by OOHC providers (caseworkers and organizations) and carers and supported by OOHC policy and the associated systems in Australia as part of providing culturally safe and supportive care.

Keywords: Australian; First Nations children; out-of-home care; wellbeing.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow diagram.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Commonwealth of Australia . An Outline of National Standards for Out-of-Home Care. Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, National Framework Implementation Working Group; Canberra, Australia: 2011.
    1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Child protection Australia 2020–2021. [(accessed on 30 September 2022)]; Available online: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/child-protection/child-protection-austra....
    1. Liddle C., Gray P., Burton J., Prideaux C., Solomon N., Cackett J., Jones M., Bhathal A., Corrales T., Parolini A., et al. The Family Matters Report 2021. SNAICC; Melbourne, Australia: 2021.
    1. Productivity Commission . Closing the Gap Annual Data Compilation Report July 2023. Productivity Commission; Canberra, Australia: 2023.
    1. Australian Government Productivity Commission . Report on Government Services Part F, Section 16: Child Protection Services 2024. Australian Government, Productivity Commission; Melbourne, Australia: 2024.

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