Becoming a Foster Carer
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Foster Carers Hotline 1800 013 088
Recruitment
Each Community Service Organisation (CSO) recruits care givers directly, using a range of recruitment strategies to raise awareness of their need for foster carers. Additionally, the Department of Human Services (DHS) funds the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare to raise community interest in foster care and recruit care givers through the Foster Care Project. This project provides a 24-hour foster care recruitment hotline (number at top of page) that provides general information on foster care and refers people to their local CSO.
Legislative Requirements
Prospective care givers must have a satisfactory police check, and are required to obtain a free ‘Working with Children’ check that includes a criminal records check for offences involving children. Working with Children checks must be renewed every 5 years.
See also Working with Children Check
Training & Assessment
All potential home based care givers are required to undergo assessment and attend pre-service training to provide them with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide high quality care to the children and young people they look after. At present, training is developed and delivered by the CSO who:
1. Is responsible for the approval of people as care givers
2. Supports and supervises them when a child is placed in their care
3. Provides ongoing training in partnership with DHS
A common, state-wide, competency based assessment and pre-service training package is being developed for use by all CSOs.
Sometimes CSOs offer joint training for their carers and those from neighbouring agencies.
The Post Placement Support Service (PPSS) also provides a range of training and support options for caregivers, teachers & child care professionals. Workshops are provided on the following topics:
1. Professional Development (for teachers & allied health professionals - how to best meet the needs of children being raised in home based care)
2. Mirror Families (creating extended families and lifelong, supportive relationships for children in the care system)
3. Bringing Fun Home (creative options to increase connections and enhance relationships)
4. Working with Families where there is Mental Illness
5. Creative Memories (a 'hands on' workshop offering the tools & ideas to create a beautiful album or journal to preserve photos, documents and other memorabilia in an attractive, safe and logical way)
6. Opt-In (optimistic thinking skills for children who have experienced trauma)
7. Sexuality & Identity Issues
8. Learning Difficulties
9. Waiting Families – Inter-country Adoption
See also Training Calendar for full details.
Age Limits for Becoming Permanent Carers
There is no screening for permanent carers based on a set age, however age is considered as part of the assessment process, and relates to issues around health and fitness. In addition, the legal regulations around applications for Permanent Care Orders require that applicants have the ‘capacity to provide a secure and beneficial emotional and physical environment during a child’s upbringing until a child reaches social and emotional independence’. In practical terms, this means until the child is at least 18 years of age.
The ageing parent(s) capacity to fulfil the role of Permanent Carer(s) will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and will be based on a determination on things like:
- Capacity to care for the child in the long term
- Length of time the child has been in the family
- The child’s position in the family
- The views of other ‘siblings’
- What existing supports are in place
The thing to remember is that children placed in permanent care have experienced many losses, and that placing them with permanent carers who are significantly older than the usual parenting age exposes them to the risk of further loss through illness, frailty, or even the death of their parent(s) before they are independent adults.
A good outcome is where carers in the ‘grandparent’ age can continue to have a significant and supportive role in the child’s life, but not as the primary carers.
