The seven-week program, My Kids and Me, won the Norma Parker Award for the Most Innovative Program at the Catholic Social Services Australia annual awards this month.

CatholicCare Wollongong director Michael Austin said the program was developed in conjunction with CatholicCare Sydney to fill a gap in the types of parenting courses available.

"This program was developed specifically for parents whose children have been removed and placed in out-of-home care," Mr Austin said.

"These parents are often encouraged to attend parenting programs, but while there are many such courses available they are usually designed to provide skills to parents who are living with their children. They're not suitable for parents involved in the child protection system and so back in 2006 we started to develop a program which would assist parents in this context."

The program aims to improve these parents' relationships with their children, their children's carers and child protection workers.

"These parents experience a lot of stigma due to their child being removed from their care, and they also feel a lot of shame and guilt as well as grief and loss," Mr Austin said.

"They can be overcome with emotion when they visit their child, which is not helpful for that child, so one thing we teach them is how to handle their emotions and develop a more child-focused approach.

"We also teach them how to better interact and communicate with their children, as well as those caring for their children."

Mr Austin said parents were encouraged to look after themselves too - with many suffering from a history of family violence, substance abuse, addiction and mental health issues.

Mr Austin said the aim of the program - run during school terms at Wollongong, Campbelltown and Nowra - was not to restore children to their parents but to restore relationships.