Abstract
In this concluding chapter, Musgrove and Michell reflect on a number of recent and disturbing cases from Australian foster care—the deaths of Taihleigh Palmer and Braxton Slager, and the disappearance of William Tyrrell. By linking these cases with themes and examples from across the 150 years examined in the book as a whole, they offer a commentary on the importance of the public remaining vigilant, and demanding better and more transparent treatment of children in foster care. The chapter also identifies some recent examples of grassroots activism trying to improve foster care, and argues for the importance in shifting both practices of, and attitudes towards, foster care and foster children.
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Notes
- 1.
Kristian Silva, “Tiahleigh Palmer: Foster Father Rick Thorburn’s Guilty Plea to Be the Final Chapter of ‘Horrific’ Case,” ABC News, 20 March 2018; Kristian Silva and Donna Field, “Tiahleigh Palmer’s Foster Brother Trent Thorburn Jailed Over Incest, Perjury,” ABC News, 14 September 2017; 7 News Brisbane, “Trent Thorborn Released from Jail,” 27 March 2018; Kristian Silva, “Murdered Schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer’s Foster Mother Sentenced to 18 Months in Jail,” ABC News, 3 November 2017; and Lexy Hamilton-Smith, “Tiahleigh Palmer’s Foster Brother Joshua Thorburn Jailed for Lying to Police,” ABC News, 27 July 2017.
- 2.
“Timeline: The Discovery of Tiahleigh Palmer’s Body and Investigation into Her Suspected Murder,” ABC News, 24 March 2016.
- 3.
Queensland Family and Child Commission, “When a Child Is Missing—Remembering Tiahleigh—A Report into Queensland‘s Children Missing from Out of Home Care,” 2016, 12.
- 4.
Ibid., 3–4; “Police Defend Six-Day Delay in Alerting About Missing Girl Later Found Dead,” The Guardian, 2015.
- 5.
“Tiahleigh Palmer’s Death Prompts New Protocol for Missing Children in Care,” ABC News, 11 July 2016. “Queensland Government Protocol for Joint Agency Response When a Child in Care Is Missing,” Child Safety Practice Manual, 2016.
- 6.
See Chapter 1: There Is No Typical Story of Foster Care.
- 7.
Chapter 2: Did Anybody Care? The Death of John Wood Pledger.
- 8.
Coroners Court of New South Wales, “Inquest into the Death of Braxton Slager,” 2018, 1.
- 9.
Ibid., 17.
- 10.
Ibid., 18–19, 21.
- 11.
Ibid., 10, 23.
- 12.
Nicole Chettle, “Braxton Slager: FACS Misused Power to Place Toddler in Overcrowded Foster Care, Report Finds,” ABC News, 28 August 2017; Esther Han, “Sydney’s Most Vulnerable Mothers Keep Their Newborns Thanks to Program,” Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney), 25 March 2018; Nicole Chettle, “Toddler Braxton Slager‘s Drowning Death ‘Preventable Accident’, Coroner Finds,” ABC News, 27 March 2018; and Family and Community Services NSW, “Statement Regarding Coronial Inquest into the Death of Braxton Slager,” 2017.
- 13.
- 14.
Coroner’s Court of New South Wales, “Inquest into the Death of Braxton Slager,” 22–23.
- 15.
Chapter 7: Rediscovering Foster Care.
- 16.
See Chapter 7: Rediscovering Foster Care.
- 17.
“William Tyrrell: Timelines of Boy’s Disappearance in September 2014,” ABC News, 12 September 2016. Also see Where Is William: 60 Minutes Part 2 of 3, 6 September 2015, (Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H5fhsGSVOM), last accessed 25 April 2018; Stephanie Boulet and Lucy Marks, “William Tyrrell: Missing Boy’s Parents Release Christmas Poem to Son,” ABC News, 25 December 2015.
- 18.
Megan Gorrey, “William Tyrrell’s Mother Says Foster Parents ‘Should Feel Guilty’,” Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney), 4 March 2018; Candace Sutton, “Stunning New Revelations About the Day William Tyrrell Disappeared,” News.com.au (online), http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/stunning-new-revelations-about-the-day-william-tyrrell-disappeared/news-story/1a73063218a15527c703ad7d2136710e, 19 January 2018, last accessed 25 April 2018; “‘I Felt Like the Worst Mum in the World’: William Tyrrell’s Mother Breaks Her Silence,” 7 News Online, https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/39325947/william-tyrrell-mother-karlie-tyrrell-breaks-her-silence/, 26 February 2018, last accessed 25 April 2018; Candace Sutton, “How William Tyrrell Was Hidden More Than Two Years Before His Disappearance,” News.com.au (online), http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/how-william-tyrrell-was-hidden-more-than-two-years-before-his-disappearance/news-story/bce866bd1bd09f319f5e6bfc71905df6, 2 March 2018, last accessed 25 April 2018; Christopher Harris, “Shock New Revelation in William Tyrrell Case,” Daily Telegraph (Sydney), 25 August 2017; Daniel Piotrowski, “Exclusive: ‘I Felt Her Loss’: Child Protection Activist Who Lifted Veil of Secrecy Over Missing Boy,” Daily Mail Australia, 26 August 2017; and Christopher Harris, “Wiliam Tyrrell Court Bombshell,” Daily Telegraph (Sydney), 25 August 2017.
- 19.
Danny Tran, “Working with Children Checks Granted to Sex Offenders and Criminals through VCAT Challenges,” ABC News, 3 April 2018.
- 20.
Michael Borusiewicz, “Luke’s Story by Luke’s Dad,” 2016, https://www.facebook.com/LukesArmy/, last accessed 26 April 2018.
- 21.
For details of these stories, see “Foster Mum Denied Bail Over Baby’s Death,” Examiner (Launceston, TAS), 4 April 2018; Hamish Broome, “11 Charges for Man Accused of Sexually Abusing Foster Child,” Northern Star (NSW), 26 March 2018.
- 22.
“FIN Victoria Inc,” http://www.finvic.org.au/, last accessed 26 April 2018.
- 23.
Sydney Criminal Lawyers, “The Ongoing Stolen Generations: An Interview with Grandmothers Against Removal,” https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/the-ongoing-stolen-generations-an-interview-with-grandmothers-against-removals/, last accessed 26 April 2018.
- 24.
Emma Rebellato and Sarah Hancock, “SA Child Protection Recommendations Offered by Democracy Co Community Panel,” ABC News, 30 January 2018; Deomocracy Co, “People’s Policy on Children’s Wellbing,” 2018, http://www.democracyco.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/PPCW_Report_CLIENT.pdf, last accessed 26 April 2018. On the Nyland Commission see: Chapter 9: Are We Getting Better at This?
- 25.
Georgie Moore, “Social Workers Heads Child Protection Party,” Echo Daily (NSW), 23 October 2015; Tom Richardson, “Child Protection Party Wants Preventative Services for Abusive Men,” InDaily, 23 October 2015.
- 26.
Leah MacLennan, “SA Election: What Have the Major Parties Been Promising Ahead of the March 17 Vote?” ABC News, 2 March 2018.
- 27.
Rachel Sanderson, “New Child Protection Minister Rachel Sanderson,” ABC Radio Adelaide, 22 March 2018.
References
7 News, Brisbane. “Trent Thorborn Released from Jail.” 27 March 2018.
7 News, Online. “‘I Felt Like the Worst Mum in the World’: William Tyrrell’s Mother Breaks Her Silence.” https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/39325947/william-tyrrell-mother-karlie-tyrrell-breaks-her-silence/, 26 February 2018.
Borusiewicz, Michael. “Luke’s Story by Luke’s Dad.” 2016. https://www.facebook.com/LukesArmy/.
Boulet, Stephanie, and Lucy Marks. “William Tyrrell: Missing Boy’s Parents Release Christmas Poem to Son.” ABC News, 25 December 2015.
Broome, Hamish. “11 Charges for Man Accused of Sexually Abusing Foster Child.” Northern Star (Goonellabah, NSW), 26 March 2018.
Chettle, Nicole. “Braxton Slager: Facs Misused Power to Place Toddler in Overcrowded Foster Care, Report Finds.” ABC News, 28 August 2017.
Chettle, Nicole. “Toddler Braxton Slager’s Drowning Death ‘Preventable Accident’, Coroner Finds.” ABC News, 27 March 2018.
Coroner’s Court of New South Wales. “Inquest into the Death of Braxton Slager.” 2018.
Democracy Co. “People’s Policy on Children’s Wellbing.” 2018. http://www.democracyco.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/PPCW_Report_CLIENT.pdf.
Family & Community Services. “Statement Regarding Coronial Inquest into the Death of Braxton Slager.” Online, NSW Government, 2017.
“FIN Victoria Inc.” http://www.finvic.org.au/.
“Foster Mum Denied Bail Over Baby’s Death.” Examiner (Launceston, TAS), 4 April 2018.
Gorrey, Megan. “William Tyrrell’s Mother Says Foster Parents ‘Should Feel Guilty’.” Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney), 4 March 2018.
Hamilton-Smith, Lexy. “Tiahleigh Palmer’s Foster Brother Joshua Thorburn Jailed for Lying to Police.” ABC News, 27 July 2017.
Han, Esther. “Sydney’s Most Vulnerable Mothers Keep Their Newborns Thanks to Program.” Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney), 25 March 2018.
Harris, Christopher. “Shock New Revelation in William Tyrrell Case.” Daily Telegraph (Sydney), 25 August 2017.
Harris, Christopher. “Wiliam Tyrrell Court Bombshell.” Daily Telegraph (Sydney), 25 August 2017.
MacLennan, Leah. “SA Election: What Have the Major Parties Been Promising Ahead of the March 17 Vote?” ABC News, 2 March 2018.
Moore, Georgie. “Social Workers Heads Child Protection Party.” Echo Daily (NSW), 23 October 2015.
Piotrowski, Daniel. “Exclusive: ‘I Felt Her Loss’: Child Protection Activist Who Lifted Veil of Secrecy Over Missing Boy.” Daily Mail Australia (Online), 26 August 2017.
“Police Defend Six-Day Delay in Alerting About Missing Girl Later Found Dead.” The Guardian (Online), 7 November 2015.
Queensland Family and Child Commission. “When a Child Is Missing—Remembering Tiahleigh—A Report into Queensland’s Children Missing from Out of Home Care, 2016.
“Queensland Government Protocol for Joint Agency Response When a Child in Care Is Missing.” Child Safety Practice Manual, Queensland, 2016.
Rebellato, Emma, and Sarah Hancock. “SA Child Protection Recommendations Offered by Democracy Co Community Panel.” ABC News, 30 January 2018.
Richardson, Tom. “Child Protection Party Wants Preventative Services for Abusive Men.” InDaily, 23 October 2015.
Sanderson, Rachel. “New Child Protection Minister Rachel Sanderson,” ABC Radio Adelaide, 22 March 2018.
Silva, Kristian. “Murdered Schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer’s Foster Mother Sentenced to 18 Months in Jail.” ABC News, 3 November 2017.
Silva, Kristian. “Tiahleigh Palmer: Foster Father Rick Thorburn’s Guilty Plea to Be the Final Chapter of ‘Horrific’ Case.” ABC News, 20 March 2018.
Silva, Kristian, and Donna Field. “Tiahleigh Palmer’s Foster Brother Trent Thorburn Jailed Over Incest, Perjury.” ABC News, 14 September 2017.
Sutton, Candace. “How William Tyrrell Was Hidden More Than Two Years before His Disappearance.” News.com.au (Online), 2 March 2018. http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/how-william-tyrrell-was-hidden-more-than-two-years-before-his-disappearance/news-story/bce866bd1bd09f319f5e6bfc71905df6.
Sutton, Candace. “Stunning New Revelations About the Day William Tyrrell Disappeared.” News.com.au (Online), 19 January 2018. http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/stunning-new-revelations-about-the-day-william-tyrrell-disappeared/news-story/1a73063218a15527c703ad7d2136710e.
Sydney Criminal Lawyers, “The Ongoing Stolen Generations: An Interview with Grandmothers Against Removal.” https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/the-ongoing-stolen-generations-an-interview-with-grandmothers-against-removals/.
“Tiahleigh Palmer’s Death Prompts New Protocol for Missing Children in Care.” ABC News, 11 July 2016.
“Timeline: The Discovery of Tiahleigh Palmer’s Body and Investigation into Her Suspected Murder.” ABC News, 24 March 2016.
Tran, Danny. “Working with Children Checks Granted to Sex Offenders and Criminals Through VCAT Challenges.” ABC News, 3 April 2018.
Where Is William: 60 Minutes Part 2 of 3, September 6, 2015. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H5fhsGSVOM.
“William Tyrrell: Timelines of Boy’s Disappearance in September 2014.” ABC News, 12 September 2016.
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Musgrove, N., Michell, D. (2018). Conclusion—What Can History Tell Us About the Future of Foster Care?. In: The Slow Evolution of Foster Care in Australia. Palgrave Studies in the History of Childhood. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93900-1_10
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