Kinship Carers Victoria podcast series

Kinship Carers Victoria
  • 3.5 (2)
  • Education

Podcast by Kinship Carers Victoria

  1. Jun 30

    KCV Podcast - Understanding Changes to the Children Youth and Families Act

    Stabilities Amendment & Supporting Stronger Stable Families Amendment   In March 2026 the Victorian parliament passed two pieces of legislation that bring important changes to Victoria’s Child Protection system. The Children, Youth and Families – Amendment Stabilities Act came into effect on 12 May 2026, and the Amendment Supporting Strong Stable Families Act is due to commence later in 2026. These reforms are some of the most substantial reforms to the Victorian Child Protection System in more than a decade. In this episode Fleur Ward and Sarah Masters - Accredited Children's Law Specialists and Special Counsel at Coulter Legal - take us through the impact the changes will have of children and families in out of home care.

  2. Apr 22

    KCV Podcast - Combatting Loneliness

    Loneliness is rapidly becoming a serious problem right around the world.  For many years we have been hearing about the loneliness that many people feel. This podcast features Assoc. Professor Michelle Lim, who chairs the Ending Loneliness Together project funded by the Australian Government.

  3. Feb 24

    KCV PODCAST Support for Young People Exploring Their Biological Identity

    In 2024, GPV/KCV developed a statement reflecting its views. At its heart is a simple but powerful principle - that every child and young person has the right to know as much as possible about their biological family and personal history. Supporting children and young people through this journey - with honesty, care and emotional safety - is an important part of the role many kinship carers hold. In this episode, we speak with Dr Michelle Blanchard, CEO of VANISH, an organisation that supports people affected by past adoption practices, as well as care leavers and donor-conceived individuals.

  4. 10/27/2025

    KCV Podcast - The rights of the child

    Kinship carers play a vital role in nurturing children and young people who cannot live with their parents. Every child deserves to grow up in a loving and culturally connected home – and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child helps make sure of this. Australia has committing to upholding children’s rights. What does this mean for kinship carers? How do these international principles connect to the laws and systems that carers deal with every day? In this podcast we speak with lawyer Fleur Ward, special counsel at Coulter Legal, and her colleague lawyer Molly Quinlan, who explore how the rights of the child apply in Victoria and show how knowing these rights can empower carers to advocate for the children in their care.

  5. 08/28/2025

    KCV PODCAST - LOOKOUT Centres supporting kinship carers

    For many kinship carers, one of the biggest challenges is supporting a child’s education. Navigating enrolments, dealing with schools or early childhood services, managing tricky transitions and making sure the right supports are in place can feel overwhelming. In this episode, we speak with Murray Geddes, Executive Principal of the South-East Victoria LOOKOUT Centre. LOOKOUT Centres were established by the Victorian Government to improve educational outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care. Murray explains how the centres work and what support they can offer kinship carers.

  6. 07/17/2025

    KCV PODCAST - Navigating Difficult Conversations

    Kinship carers sometimes find themselves in complex situations. Consequently, they might be involved in challenging conversations with schools, case managers, family members and the children in their care. Knowing how to handle these conversations calmly and effectively is a key to making sure a child’s needs are understood and that carers feel respected, supported and empowered.  In this episode KCV speaks with educator and wellbeing consultant Megan Corcoran, Director of the Wagtail Institute, about how kinship carers can approach difficult conversations with clarity and confidence. Megan brings expertise and lived understanding to her work in education, psychology and emotional safety and has a deep understanding of the pressures kinship carers face.

  7. 04/21/2025

    KCV Podcast - Liana Buchanan. A legacy of advocacy for children and young people

    Liana Buchanan has been a tireless advocate for children and young people. Appointed Principal Commissioner for the Commission for Children and Young People in Victoria in 2016, Liana was responsible for key initiatives like the Reportable Conduct Scheme and Child Safe Standards. In March 2025 she was appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC). On her last day as Children's Commissioner, Liana spoke with KCV about the work of kinship carers and about the challenges and successes in her nine years in the role.

  8. 03/20/2025

    KCV Podcast - New rules governing the CIMS

    The Client Incident Management System (CIMS) is the program that investigates reports of incidents made against carers who may have mistreated children in their care.  There are reports made against kinship carers, but this does not happen very often.  Over the years, KCV has witnessed some serious breaches of carers' rights, particularly when a report is not upheld. Carers and children have been seriously affected by the unfairness of the processes over the years and are not compensated for years of trauma when a report is not upheld.   In this podcast, lawyer Fleur Ward talks about how the DFFH has undertaken a review of CIMS procedures and has released a new set of guidelines. Carers need to be aware that it is quite easy for a report to be made and that if one is made, they need to listen to this podcast and contact their support agency immediately.

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Podcast by Kinship Carers Victoria

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