ACWA and its member agencies have long recognised that foster care breakdown is a significant problem for children and young people in care, as well as on foster carers and their families, workers and agencies. To gain further understanding of this issue, ACWA decided to undertake a brief qualitative research project and brought in a social work student to carry out the task. The research was conducted over the six-month period January- June 2003.

This research project was undertaken in order to gain a preliminary understanding of some of the experiences of children/young people, foster carers and non-government agency workers involved in placement breakdowns in long term foster care. The aim of the project was to gain an understanding of what contributes to or prevents such placement breakdowns and what helps children/young people and carers in dealing with the disruption. It was anticipated that the findings from the project might assist foster care agencies in improving practice and may form a basis for further research.

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This study was undertaken by Dannielle Stubbs, a student on placement from UNSW