Our International Child Welfare and Kinship Care service provides international child welfare and protection support to NSW Government Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) and other non-government organisations in NSW.

ISS Australia assists DCJ and NGO’s in NSW with child welfare and protection matters where there is both a NSW and overseas component.

Services include:

• Facilitating overseas Child Protection and Police background checks
• Conducting viability and kinship assessments of overseas extended family members in regard to the possible placement of a child in care in Australia
• Searching for biological family for purposes of family connections and Life Story Work in regard to a child in care in NSW
• Assisting with the overseas element of NSW local or Out-of-Home Care adoption.

ISS Australia is committed to ensuring the rights, safety and wellbeing of children are paramount and protected across international borders.

Whilst this service is funded by the NSW Government’s Department of Communities and Justice, there will be associated costs incurred overseas by our network member – Please see our Fee Schedule for further information.

Our International Child Welfare and Kinship Care service provides international child welfare and protection support to Australian State and Territory Child Protection Authorities and other non-government organisations across Australia.

However ISS Australia receives no government funding for this service (except for NSW Government funding), therefore fees will apply. Please see our Fee Schedule for further details.

Download our service brochure.

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International Kinship Care Video

Did you know that ½ Australia’s population are either born overseas or have one parent born overseas.

There are over 45,000 children in care in Australia , and the majority of them would be in placements with carers that they have no biological connection with.

Where appropriate, the alternative form of care which should be prioritised is the child remaining within their extended family, as this respects the child’s right to family life and maintains family links.

This is outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and in the UN Guidelines for Alternative Care of Children.

Child protection caseworkers need to explore all options that might allow a child to remain within their extended family, including identifying any potential family placements overseas.

This video highlights why it is essential to good practice that if a child in care has extended family living overseas that they be considered as a possible long-term placement option for the child, as it  provides the child with an opportunity to maintain their identity, connection to culture and language.

If you would like more information on how ISS Australia can assist with locating and assessing potential family placements overseas, please send us an email at iss@iss.org.au or visit www.iss.org.au for more information.

ISS Australia is grateful for the funding received by the NSW Government’s Social Sector Transformation Funds in 2021/22 to produce this awareness raising video.

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What are Equity in Permanency Principles?

Equity in Permanency refers to a set of global principles of child protection practice that prioritise the exploration of family placements, without discrimination, to achieve optimal long-term outcomes for the child. These principles cover a child’s rights, equality of opportunity, bias within child protection systems and the need for adequate planning and accountability.  

Along with our global International Social Service (ISS) members, we are launching a campaign to promote Equity in Permanency and help to ensure that all family placement options are explored for any child who can no longer be cared for by their parents. We want to ensure that children in statutory care (i.e. Out-of-Home Care) in Australia can access and connect with their extended family locally and overseas to provide the best opportunity for them to be raised with a strong sense of identity, belonging, roots, and culture.  

Our campaign aims to:  

• Confirm the integration of Equity in Permanency principles into Australian State and Territory policy, specifically focusing on enhancing statutory and policy considerations for international kinship care.
• Incorporate the principles into child protection practise, providing caseworker with the expertise to fully explore international family placement options.

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Click here to see the 2 page summary of ISS’s Equity in Permanency principles

Click here to see the full report of ISS’s Equity in Permanency principles

Click here to see ISS’s Asia-Pacific webinar; ‘Cross-border Family Connections - 7 Principles to Protect Children’s Rights in Practice’.

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Why is Equity in Permanency so important?  

Family finding and engagement is codified as best practice in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.  

Beyond this, data also shows numerous benefits linked to international kinship care placements, notably the preservation of a child's sense of family identity. Children who grow up with family are more likely to fulfil their potential, perform better at school, and have better economic prospects.  

Yet, a growing body of international research highlights that at the local level, there may not be adequate support to achieve this when children in care have family across international borders. This is often hindered by a lack of practical knowledge or support to safely uphold a child’s link to family, culture, identity, and roots without geographic discrimination.

Our initiation of the Equity in Permanency campaign stems from recognising that international kinship care placements are rarely considered permanent, long-term options for children and young people presently in care in Australia.

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