Connecting, Making Friends, and Having Good Times: Children and Young Peoples’ Experiences in a Systematic Intervention—The Case of the Mockingbird Family

Abuse and neglect, multiple placements, and ongoing trauma, make it difficult for children and young people in foster care to connect and form friendships. This case study of a systematic intervention piloted in South Australia—the Mockingbird Family model of foster care—explored experiences of belonging among children and young people involved. Multiple perspectives were drawn upon to examine the social and relational dynamics that shape their connections and sense of belonging. The Mockingbird Family is an intervention where 6–10 foster or kinship families are formed into micro-networks for regular socialisation and informal support. Interviews with children and young people (n = 21), their foster carers (n = 19), and foster care agency and statutory workers (n = 14) were analysed thematically. Results showed that inclusion, having others to play with, and forming good memories, were most important. Reciprocal friendships in the Mockingbird Family and acceptance of each other regardless of behavioural difficulties, enabled positive experiences that were essential for achieving a sense of belonging. Systematic interventions, such as the Mockingbird Family model of foster care, that bring children and young people together to connect, make friends and have good times, have potential to create conditions that foster belonging, which enable children and young people to flourish.