Frequently Asked Questions

 Foster care is caring for a child usually not known to you, while kinship care is caring for a child who is related or known to you.

Being a foster carer means opening up your home and heart to children and young people who have experienced neglect or abuse. You will be making a huge difference in a child’s life in providing much-needed safety, support and security.

A day, a week or years – it is entirely up to you and your lifestyle needs.

You are free to select from Weekend Care (occasional weekends), Emergency Care (days whenever needed), Short-Term Care (few months up to 2 years) or Long-Term care (years or until child turns 18).

Foster care and adoption are very different. Generally the goal for children placed in out-of-home care is to be reunified to their family when this is safe for them. In some exceptional circumstances carers can become guardians for children, however this only occurs if it is not probable that a child can be reunified to their family.

Foster carers receive an allowance which is a partial reimbursement towards the cost of providing care. This allowance is tax free and aims to cover things like clothes, food and educational needs for the child or young person.

This varies greatly depending on the circumstances of a child needing a home. Sometimes your agency worker might have worked very closely with a particular child before; other times a child will be new into the child protection system and almost nothing will be known about them at first.

All foster carers undergo checks, as do all adult members of your household. These include working with children (blue card) checks and suitability checks through state, national, and international child protection, criminal, traffic, and domestic violence history. We also look at your health and wellbeing, your household safety, and in some cases, references from your family/employer. All couples, whether married or not, must apply to become carers together, and both committed to caring.

We have many years of excellent service to help children coming into our care and our growing team of amazing foster carers. All our support workers are qualified, well-experienced and dedicated to provide the best care for all involved. We provide one-on-one carer support 24/7, training and carer get-together events where carers’ biological families are also welcomed and celebrated. We are a big family and we look forward to you joining us!