Recently, Families SA invited the Youth Advisors to comment on the development of a new Life Story Book for non-Aboriginal children and young people in care. Families SA currently provides a Life Story Book for Aboriginal children and young people, which is tailored to the child’s own clan group.
Only one of the current five Youth Advisors have, or had a life story book. They said:
‘I have no photos of me before the age of 10 years” – no baby photos, no first day of school photos, no birthday photos…’
‘It’d be good to look back at what I did and where I was during my childhood.’
‘Would’ve been nice to have a record of my history and heritage.’
‘I’ve been doing some scrapbooking [with my parent]’.
All of the four Youth Advisors who haven’t had a Life Story Book agreed that they would’ve enjoyed participating in life story work and would benefit from having a Life Story Book.
Summing up, one said ‘The Life Story Book should be given as a bound book at age 18 years, and in the absence of a Life Story Book, a bound photo book’.
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