Permanence and Stability, "The missing ingredients for Victoria's most vulnerable children". (2021)
Why it’s important for families to be supported

There are more Victorian children than ever before in out-of-home care. This excludes children on Permanent Care Orders. The last 3 years alone have seen a 21% increase in the daily average number of children in out-of-home care.
Approximately half (48%) of these Victorian children have spent more than 2 years in out-of-home care, and of those in the care system for 2 or more years, two-thirds (67%) have had multiple placements. The purpose of this report is to review the current state of permanent care in Victoria to understand:
• The reasons why so many children in out-ofhome care are not moving to stable, permanent arrangements in a timely manner when they are unable to be re-unified with their birth parents,
• The consequences for children the longer they remain in the out-of-home care system,
• The support children in permanency arrangements need in order to recover from the accumulated harm, identity, and developmental issues both before and during their time in out-of-home care, and
• The requirements of children and families in permanency arrangements to create and sustain a stable environment that improves life opportunities and outcomes for these children.
Stability is key for children to recover from the significant disruption in their lives. International and domestic research has clearly shown that ‘drifting’ in the care system and multiple placements are strongly correlated with negative life outcomes for children, including poor mental health, underperformance at school, difficulty in building meaningful relationships, and time spent in the youth justice system. The earlier children find themselves in a permanent arrangement, the more likely they are to effectively heal and start the recovery journey from the inevitable trauma and disruption caused by both removal from their birth family and time in out-of-home care.
To understand more about the importance of supporting permanent care and adoptive families, read Permanence and Stability, "The missing ingredients for Victoria's most vulnerable children".