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There are four parts of the Permanency Support Program (PSP) which support children, young people and families to achieve permanency:
We work to keep families together as much as possible. In some cases, this might mean supporting children or young people to remain safely with their birth family at home. In other cases, it might mean supporting children or young people to return home to their family after they have been removed for a period of time.
Supporting a child or young person to remain at home is known as family preservation. Returning a child or young person home is called restoration. In both cases, home must be safe for the child or young person. These are the two permanency options we try to work with first.
Working intensively with birth parents and families to support change.
Permanency in casework gives a child or young person in the child protection or out of home care systems the best opportunity to have a permanent, safe home.
Permanency case planning involves setting a case plan goal for the child or young person, to have a permanent home within two years. Case planning has a focus on working with their parents, family and other people significant to them, to keep the child at home with family or provide a safe and permanent home through guardianship or open adoption.
Guardianship and open adoption are only considered where it is not safe for a child or young person to return to the care of their parents or family. Where guardianship or adoption are not possible, DCJ considers long-term care with an authorised foster carer.
Every child and young person needs to feel safe, secure and loved.
However, there will be circumstances where a child or young person cannot stay with their parents, either for a short time or on a long-term basis. In these cases a child or young person may be cared for by foster, relative or kin carers , or more permanently by:
Recruitment, development and support of carers, guardians and adoptive parents.
Intensive Therapeutic Care (ITC) is a service system that helps children and young people who are recovering from the most severe forms of trauma, neglect, abuse or adversity.
Intensive Therapeutic Care (ITC) is for children and young people over 12 years of age, with complex needs who are either unable to be supported in foster care or require specialised and intensive supports to maintain stability in their care arrangements.
Find more information on Intensive Therapeutic Care system reform.
28 Feb 2023