A groundbreaking Australian Research Council funded project, led by Southern Cross University, will reimagine how to strengthen belonging, identity and wellbeing for children growing up in kinship care.
Building on the solid six-year partnership forged between Southern Cross University and Australian Childhood Foundation through the jointly funded Chair of Out-of-Home Care , this first of its kind three-year research initiative will generate vital insight into how to nurture connection, safety, and stability for children and young people raised by relatives and extended family.
Across Australia, more children now live in kinship or relative care than in any other form of out-of-home care. Despite this significant shift, kinship care remains under-researched and under-supported.
The project, funded through a $579,700 ARC Linkage Project grant awarded to Southern Cross University and matched in cash and in-kind contributions by community partners, responds to a growing social policy priority.
Southern Cross University's Professor Lynne McPherson, who holds the Chair of Out-of-Home Care and will lead the project, said the initiative will place the lived experience of children and families at its centre.
"This is an unprecedented opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of children and young people living in kinship care, most often with their grandparents," said Professor McPherson who also is the Deputy Director of the Centre for Children and Young People at Southern Cross University.
"We want to better understand what belonging looks and feels like for these families, and how systems can work alongside them to create the conditions for safety and lifelong connection."
The research brings together key partners including Anglicare Victoria, OzChild, AbCare, and CASPA alongside the Australian Childhood Foundation.
Australian Childhood Foundation CEO Janise Mitchell said the research highlights the power of family and the importance of recognising what keeps children connected.
"Every child deserves to grow up feeling they belong. Kinship care keeps children connected to family, culture, and love—but it also comes with challenges that too often go unseen. This project will shine a light on what helps families stay strong and what systems need to do better."
Ultimately, this work is about more than care. It is about belonging, continuity, and hope for the next generation of children raised within family networks of love and resilience.
The project will co-design tangible, practice-ready solutions drawn directly from the voices and experiences of children, young people, and their carers. By elevating lived experience as a source of wisdom, the project aims to inform national policy, reshape practice frameworks, and strengthen the systems that hold kinship families together.
The project is set to commence in January 2026.
Reimagining Belonging and Support for Children in Kinship Care, $579,700 over 3-years (matched in cash and kind by community agencies)
Chief Investigator: Professor Lynne McPherson.
The project is set to start in January 2026.
Partners: Australian Childhood Foundation; Anglicare Victoria; Coffs Harbour Aboriginal Family Community Care Aboriginal Corporation; CASPA Services Ltd; OzChild.
