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Carers may foster through more than one CSO (agency). The original agency is considered the “primary” agency. The informal protocol is: if the second agency has a referral for a placement which may be suitable for the carer, the second agency contacts the primary agency to check on the carer’s availability or plans for the carer (i.e. whether the carer is on hold or is waiting for a particular placement to happen etc). The second agency then contacts the carer direct to offer the placement.

If a carer is transferring to another agency or wishes to foster through more than one agency, the carer may be required to participate in some (or even full) training or orientation with the new agency (this will be reduced when there is common training throughout Victoria).

If a carer is transferring between agencies (particularly if there has been a breakdown in the relationship with the agency), the carer needs to be aware that the new agency will contact the original agency to discuss them and the issues surrounding the decision to leave the original agency.

If the carer wishes to change agencies or regions while they have a placement, this is more complicated. Agencies are funded on targets (how many children are on the books and therefore how many worker hours they have). If one agency transfers clients to another agency that may mean that they lose targets. If the agencies work closely together, they may be able to transfer targets to each other. If the carer wishes to move regions, this may be possible as long as the child/ren are DHS clients.