Learning from the Homeless Children

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Little Voices with BIG ideas

• Learning from the Homeless Childrens Project
• Tim Moore

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(No Transcript)
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Responding to children

• It is clear that listening to children, hearing
  children and acting on what children say are
  three very different activities
• There have always been people who have listened,
  sometimes there have been people who have heard,
  and perhaps less often, those who have acted
  wisely on what children have had to say.
• (Roberts 2000, p227)

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Participation beyond tokenism

• Participatory approaches to research are not
  about just including personal quotes in an
  otherwise unchanged research report or adding
  subjective feelings to the objective findings
  of the researcher.
• They are about people with direct experience
  having more voice in the research process-from
  defining the issues to working out solutions
• (Bennett and Roberts 1999).

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Childrens Reference Group

• 5 children aged 6-11 years
• 2x Advisory Group Meetings
• Trial interviews and focus group activities
• Group and one-on-one feedback (interview)

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What we learnedChildren have stories to tell

• At one refuge, the workers would talk to the
  kids as well as the parents but at others they
  didnt. It was good when they talked to you
  treated you like a person. If they just ignored
  you it made you feel weird (Boy, aged 11)

Kids should be asked about stuff thats got to do
with them They can tell you stuff youd never
think of cos youre not a kid
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Things we learned from kids sometimes kids feel
unsafe

• Sometimes, you know, you are too scared to say
  anything. Well I know I felt like this anyway
  especially at the start
• If theyre scared theyre not going to talk. They
  need to know that theyre OK that theyre safe
  and that youre there for em.

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Things we learned from kids

• Its important to build trust
• There should be stuff for kids people they can
  talk to about stuff and not worry that people are
  going to think bad of their parents or get them
  in trouble. Kids wont tell unless they know
  people are safe and theyre not going to help
  unless they think people are going to do
  something to help (Young man, aged 14)

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Making the space kid-friendly

• Make sure the space is kid friendly Have lots
  of toys, have posters like Bratz, Superman,
  Barbie Have magazines around like Total Girl,
  K-Zone or Girlfriend not Cosmo, even though
  theyre funny!
• Maybe get some kids to help run the activities so
  other kids feel like joining in
• In group activities, let kids know that they
  can come and talk about stuff thats sensitive
  one-on-one
• if someone gets upset someone could go into
  the fun room and talk to them about what they are
  upset about or play games with them or something

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Building rapport
If I could have any super power Id choose

• Find commonalities
• Do something fun
• Talking cards
• Building kids up
• Allowing choice power

The best holiday I ever went on was
The thing I love most about my family is
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Childrens Rights in Research
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Childrens Rights in Research
Kids should always be asked about stuff to do
with their lives
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The importance of rights
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Kids may need adults to help them communicate
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Methodology for kids

• Semi Structured Interviews
• Intro cards
• Clay faces
• Timelines
• Family Strengths and Resources
• Support hands
• Ideal Homes
• Hopes Dreams
• Advice for other children
• Principal / Prime Minister for a Day / Magic
  Lamp

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Kids need adults to respond

• It is clear that listening to children, hearing
  children and acting on what children say are
  three very different activities
• There have always been people who have listened,
  sometimes there have been people who have heard,
  and perhaps less often, those who have acted
  wisely on what children have had to say.
• (Roberts 2000, p227)