Building a long-term capability partnership in Out-of-Home Care
Since 2023, CMY has developed tailored Culturally Responsive Care training with MacKillop Family Services, extending it into a dedicated Out-of-Home Care program.
The Context
Over 10,000 children live in Out of Home Care across Victoria, and around 1 in 6 are from a CALD or refugee background — a group that can face added challenges including displacement, discrimination and language barriers.
The challenge
General cultural responsiveness training does not automatically translate to the specific pressures of Out-of-Home Care work. MacKillop needed something built for that context, not adapted from something else.
Our approach
Building on culturally responsive practice training CMY has delivered to MacKillop since 2023, the two organisations developed tailored, practical training specifically for OoHC staff, focused on building understanding of racism and confidence in supporting young people who experience it.
The impact
Across FY25/26, CMY delivered 17 sessions to 284 staff members, with over 90% reporting satisfaction, improved knowledge, and improved confidence, and 88% improved skills and strategies. The feedback from these sessions is now shaping a further phase of tailored training for MacKillop's people leaders — evidence of a long-term capability partnership rather than a single engagement.
“[This training helped me] to be more open minded and seek out support and educate myself where
needed in terms of cultural understanding, diversity and development.”
