The right to cultural connection for children in out-of-home care: does Australian policy and practice adequately support cultural identity for culturally and linguistically diverse children?

Development of cultural identity is understood to be central to well-being; however, it is not always prioritised for children in out-of-home care (OOHC). This paper examines current policy and practice designed to support the cultural identity and connection of non-Indigenous culturally and linguistically diverse children (CALD) in OOHC, who make up approximately 14% of children in care. These are children who have migrated to Australia or have a family history of migration. OOHC practice guidance has paid minimal attention to this group of children, with only New South Wales and Western Australia requiring cultural care plans for CALD children. We conducted a review of current policy and online world café sessions with 65 OOHC professionals across all Australian States and Territories to explore the current state of policy and practice for CALD children in OOHC as this relates to maintaining their cultural identity and connections. Participants were from a wide range of backgrounds, including providers of OOHC, government officials, policymakers and multicultural community leaders. Four key themes were identified within world café sessions: the meaning of culture and identity; the role of children and families; barriers and facilitators to effective service provision; and organisational training and resource priorities. Implications for practice and policy contexts are discussed.