Child Protection and/or
Justice Workers - Key Questions to Ask Children/Youth
Early Childhood
Primary School Aged Children and
Adolescents
For any child but for children who are yet to commence school
the main thing to remember is to ask them how they are
feeling about what is happening/has
happened.
However, many conclusions about safety,
growth and development will need to be based on
observation of very young children or checking
with caregivers (see examples below):
- Safety: Failure to thrive,
regression to immature behaviour for age and/or poor
growth and development for age (eg lack of language
development ) and/or no sign of distress or protest when
the young child is separated from the parent may
indicate rejection, neglect or abuse.
- Social participation: Check
if the child has any opportunities to play and mix with
others. Are their any barriers to attendance at
playgroup, childcare etc.? (eg transport, cost, lack of
parental motivation/energy to get them there, parental
concern that placing their child in child care may be
seen as a sign of weakness or inability to cope,
cultural factors)
Primary School Aged
Children and Adolescents
IDENTIFICATION of RISK FACTORS
- Ask about caring
responsibilities (eg Are they having to do more
around the house than others their age because of their
parent being unwell? Do they have the responsibility for
their parent's medication regime? Do they have
responsibility for getting their own meals? If so, are
they getting adequate nutrition?).
- Recognise and acknowledge the
important role they are taking in caring for
their parent. Offer emotional support, but do
so tactfully as some young people take on
caring responsibilities because they feel there
really is no one else who can do what they do
and/or that they should be the ones to do
it.
- Consider referring children who are
providing care for their parents to a young
carer support group (Commonwealth Carer
Resource Centre Ph: 1800 242 636)
- Ask about safety (eg If they
have felt unsafe/scared in the past - do they have a
plan now for what to do if it happens again or to
prevent it reoccurring?)
- Ask about school attendance (eg Do they ever miss school because they are looking
after their parent or tired when, for example, their
parent has had a 'bad night'?)
- What are their information
needs? For example:
- What are their socialisation
needs? (eg are they involved in any activities
outside of school or home? Do they have any
friends?)
- Check if the child has at least 5
adults (other than their parent with the mental
illness) who they can trust/call for assistance or
support.
- Are they concerned about what might
happen to them if their parent becomes unwell
again or has to be hospitalised?
- Suggest that the child and family
make a plan for times when their parent may be
unwell or hospitalised - see the 'Supporting
Our Family' kit for a downloadable example plan http://www.howstat.com/comic. This
may include planned care or respite care
options.