The Pathways of Care Longitudinal Study (POCLS) is funded and managed by the New South Wales Department of Family and Community Services (FACS). It is the first large-scale prospective longitudinal study of children and young people in out-of-home care (OOHC) in Australia. Information on safety, permanency and wellbeing is being collected from various sources. The child developmental domains of interest are physical health, socio-emotional wellbeing and cognitive/learning ability.

This report provides an analysis of two waves of the POCLS. The analysis focuses on the need for and access to services for children, focusing on specialist services such as paediatricians, as well as universal services such as dentists and general practitioners. The report also examines the formal and informal supports for carers. The report includes a review of the Australian and international literature on service engagement for children in OOHC.