After growing up in care, Mathew is drawing upon his own experiences to support Aboriginal families through his work in child protection.

The Ngarrindjeri man, 24, lived in a kinship care placement with his grandmother and now works for the Department for Child Protection as an Aboriginal Family Practitioner.

On World Social Work Day (Tuesday, 21 March), South Australia will celebrate the breadth of work carried out in the social work space every day – including in child protection case management.

Managing child protection cases, Mathew has a particular focus on Aboriginal families, and is passionate about helping connect children and young people with Country and their relatives.

“One of the most challenging things as an Aboriginal Family Practitioner is feeling for that child when they don’t know where they’re from,” he says.

“We see some kids that are based on Country and know their connections to other relatives there.  But there are also some that feel disconnected – all they want to do is get to see who their family are and meet them.”

The majority of the children he works with are Ngarrindjeri, and Mathew is often able to draw on his own community connections to identify their relatives and build relationships.

He grew up on Country in the Murraylands and maintained a strong connection to culture through family relationships – and he wants the same for the children and young people he works with.

Keeping a connection with traditional lands is also vital for children’s cultural identity, and arrangements are often made for local children to spend time on Kaurna land, or places further afield, during school holidays.

Mathew says he is passionate about working with Aboriginal families, which involves building relationships with community members who may be hesitant to work with the department following previous government policies that led to the Stolen Generations.

“I wanted to give back a little bit and work with some kids that are struggling, to show them what’s out there,” he says.

His own experiences allow him to connect with children when they are going through challenging times.

“I’ve been there and know how these kids are feeling, so I can reflect with them,” he says.

Among the highlights of Mathew’s role is seeing children achieve their goals, such as getting their driver’s licence, excelling in school or community sport.

“I find that one of the most rewarding aspects of the job – when children and young people are finding success and understanding their success,” he says.