A number of key authors maintain sibling relationships are absolutely crucial when considering out-of-home care options, while policy derived from theory and practice must guarantee that the best interests of the child(ren) are taken into account. Furthermore, placing siblings together is most likely to be a protective factor against placement breakdown. This being the case, care plans should focus on ensuring sibling connectedness and the maintenance of emotional bonds into adulthood.

This paper discusses current out-of-home care policy and practice in Western Australia which incorporates research from (1) attachment theory, (2) family structure, (3) cultural diversity, (4) development, (5) contact, (6) care planning, and (7) long-term care to provide guidance when considering siblings entering the out-of-home care system. The authors contend that this approach improves decision making practice and is consistent with new legislation — the Children and Community Services Act 2004, which is expected to be introduced in Western Australia on 1 March 2006, and which has as its underlying principle the best interests of the child.

Australia is experiencing major difficulties attracting and retaining foster carers. This crisis in recruitment has focused attention on whether fostering can continue to rely on voluntary carers. This paper examines data from a 2003/4 survey of foster carers in New South Wales commissioned by the Department of Community Services. The research explores carers’ perceptions of the nature of the fostering role and examines these in relation to three dimensions of professionalisation: training, support and payment. The findings indicate that the majority of carers believe fostering should be regarded as a professional or semi-professional role. Among these carers, there was a higher level of support for the three dimensions of professionalisation compared to carers who regard their role as voluntary. Differences in perceptions were not attributable to other socio-demographic characteristics, aside from education levels. This paper also addresses the policy implications of these findings for the future recruitment and retention of carers.

In recent years significant focus has been placed on the first few years of a child’s life and how their experiences during this time can shape their future development (McCain & Mustard, 1999). Social policy and programs that enhance the capacity of children and their families so that positive outcomes for children are ensured are being developed and implemented throughout Australia. This paper takes up the topic, initially introduced in Children Australia (Vicary et al. 2005), but turns the focus to Aboriginal children. Despite the advances in early years policy and programs development, marginalised children, particularly those from Aboriginal backgrounds, continue to be overlooked in terms of consultation (Vicary 2002).

The ramifications of this lack of consultation are profound in terms of cultural appropriateness and sensitivity. The Western Australian Office for Children and Youth has refined a model for the engagement of Aboriginal children in social policy consultation. The model is inclusive of diversity and targets the children who normally would not have their voices heard in the development of social policy. The following paper will describe the Aboriginal Child Engagement Model developed by the Office for Children and Youth in consultation with children, young people and adults from Aboriginal backgrounds. The model consists of six steps, and takes the non-Aboriginal worker from the initial engagement phase through to evaluation and relationship consolidation. The proposed model is further delineated by a case study.

Drawing from the work of Norbert Elias, this paper examines the infant welfare movement in Australia in the inter-war years. Elias maintains that during the course of what he describes as the ‘civilising process’, the psychological and behavioural distance between adults and children has increased. As a result of this growing distance, the period of childhood has become longer and the process of the transition to adulthood more complex. In this way, parenthood is experienced as an increasingly difficult task, and one that does not come naturally but requires education and training. It is the contention of this paper that the infant welfare movement, with its emphasis on parental education, can be understood as part of the civilising process: as an unintended consequence of the growing distance between children and adults.