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Life Story work

Kids in care may have experienced a lot of changes including where they live, who they live with and where they go to school. Sometimes, they might feel confused about who they are and what’s happened to them. Working on a My Life Story Book is a way of gathering and maintaining accurate information that can help kids understand who they are and where they have come from.

Life Story work with culturally and linguistically diverse kids

Each child or young person is given a copy of the My Life Story Book when they enter out-of-home care. Putting together information about their cultural and religious heritage is a key part of Life Story work for kids from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. This includes details about the child or young person’s birth parents’ culture, ethnicity, religion, language and life in their country of origin. The My Life Story Book will be important for the child or young person when they become an adult, providing information about childhood experiences and achievements.

Maintaining cultural milestones

Some cultures have rituals or events that should be honoured as kids reach certain ages or levels of maturity. Caseworkers and carers can work together to make sure those important moments are observed.

Gathering information about birth parents helps kids connect with their cultural and religious heritage. This includes information about:

  • when their parents were born
  • the countries, cities or villages their parents, grandparents and extended family came from, and what these places are like
  • the language their parents and extended family speak
  • what their parents and extended family did to earn a living
  • when, why and how their parents came to Australia
  • their family’s religion, religious beliefs and practices
  • holidays, special events, foods and dress associated with their family’s culture or religion.

You can help kids explore, understand and strengthen their own sense of identity by gathering and recording information about:

  • cultural and religious celebrations, events and activities they’ve participated in
  • memories of these events and what they did
  • the language they spoke at home
  • things they enjoyed with their family and community including certain kinds of food, places, people or special experiences.

For children or young people born overseas, you can also help gather information about:

  • the country they were born in
  • how old they were when they came to Australia
  • things they remember from their early childhood, such as where they lived, friends, games they played, important people in their lives
  • what they liked and didn’t like about life in another country
  • their experiences after they arrived in Australia.

Where to look for information

You can gather information for Life Story work from: