Victorian foster carer Sasha, whose name has been changed for legal reasons, said a six-year-old girl under her care since she was a baby had been repeatedly distressed by scheduled visits with her biological mother, who was unwell and abusive. Emma would wait for her mother, who often failed to attend, and would then be 'distraught' and take weeks to settle after the visits, Sasha said.
Heather Baird, founder of A Better Life For Foster Kids, said she had seen many children resist visitation and become distressed. She said that from around six to eight years of age, children often began verbally refusing to attend.
Victoria's previous legislation gave biological parents a two-year window to regain custody after a child entered out-of-home care. In May 2026, the Children, Youth and Families (Stability) Act 2026 came into effect, removing that time limit on reunification orders. Baird said that in some cases the biological parent had abused the child or was unwell due to substance abuse or mental health.
The Department of Family, Fairness and Housing says the aim of a family reunification order is to safely return a child to the care of their parents.