Alone, angry, and embarrassed—this is how Joshua Marshall describes his experience growing up in South Australia’s state care system. Now 24, Joshua is calling for fundamental changes to what he describes as a “broken” residential care system. His plea comes as he continues to bear the physical and emotional scars from his time in care.
Joshua entered the system at the tender age of six. In his first care setting, he alleges he was subjected to both physical and emotional abuse. A particularly humiliating incident, witnessed by several acquaintances, became the breaking point, leading to his removal from that environment. However, despite the severity of the allegations, the carer involved did not face criminal charges, although they were later found not guilty of other accusations.
Instability and Isolation in Care
After leaving his initial placement, Joshua was shuffled through various residential care settings, spending years in temporary accommodations, including hotels. Unlike foster care, residential care places children in groups of up to four, overseen by rotational staff, which often leads to a lack of stability and personal connection.
“I got constantly moved around so I could never really call any place home,” Joshua reflects. The safety policies intended to protect him often marked him as different, exacerbating his feelings of isolation. On more than one occasion, Department for Child Protection (DCP) workers conducted walkthroughs of friends’ homes before granting permission for visits, leading to further alienation.
The Need for Open Conversations
According to Professor Leah Bromfield, Director of the Australian Centre for Child Protection, Joshua’s experience is not uncommon. She emphasizes the importance of open communication to prevent the stigmatization of children in care. “I’ve had multiple care leavers talk to me about losing friendships because it was too difficult to be their friend,” she says.
Joshua continues to struggle with forming and maintaining relationships, fearing abandonment or forced separation. He believes that having carers with lived experience could significantly improve the system. Professor Bromfield concurs, noting that the insights of care leavers are underutilized in reform efforts. “They’ve got great ideas about how we could do this better,” she asserts.
Steps Toward Reform
Last year, the South Australian government established a ministerial youth advisory council to incorporate lived experience into policy decisions. Following a youth summit co-hosted by the DCP and the CREATE Foundation, which supports young people with care experience, the government announced plans to “redesign the residential care system.”
However, Joshua remains cautiously optimistic, having heard promises of change before. “The government sometimes, you know, throws out some breadcrumbs just to … you know, catch an extra vote,” he says. “But if it actually means the ball’s finally starting to roll now, then it’s about time.”
Breaking the Cycle of Trauma
Joshua Stewart, an 18-year-old member of the Youth Advisory Council who spent eight years in residential care, stresses the importance of breaking the cycle of intergenerational trauma. He believes that giving young people more choice and control in their placements is crucial. “Many young people don’t see their resi care home as a home,” he explains, noting that this often leads to them running away.
South Australia’s Child Protection Minister, Katrine Hildyard, is awaiting a report from the CREATE Foundation on the summit’s outcomes. “We are determined to reform to re-imagine residential care,” she states. “I look forward to receiving that information and to our continued conversation with young people so that their voices can lead the way on this reform that we are undertaking.”
The government is open to integrating lived experience peer support into the system, a move that could bring about the meaningful change Joshua and others are advocating for.
