Financial Support
All carers (except kinship carers whose children have not been part of the Child Protection System) receive some reimbursement towards the ordinary day-to-day costs of caring for a child or young person. The level of reimbursement depends on the age of the child or young person in their care and the complexity of the child’s care needs.
An additional sum of $50.82 per fortnight (the new placement loading) is paid to carers for the first six months in placement. This reimbursement is only applicable to carers in receipt of General level reimbursements (see below). The reimbursement is a contribution towards the cost of items such as food, clothing, household items, gifts, pocket money and entertainment.
The Department of Human Services (DHS) pays reimbursements fortnightly, according to the below categories;
- General (60% of placements)
- Intensive Level 1 (formerly Specialised Level 1 & 2) (20% of placements)
- Intensive Level 2 (formerly Specialised Level 3) (10% of placements)
- Complex Level 1 (fixed flat rate across all ages) (5% of placements)
- Complex Level 2 (High Risk Adolescent 1:1 range) (5% of placements)
| Category of Care | Age of Child |
Annual Rate 2008/2009 |
F'Nightly Rate 2008/2009 |
| General | 0 - 7 | 6,550.00 | 251.06 |
| 8 – 10 | 6,840.00 | 262.18 | |
| 11 – 12 | 7,770.00 | 297.82 | |
| 13+ | 10,478.00 | 401.62 | |
| Intensive Level 1 | 0 – 7 | 7,914.00 | 303.34 |
| 8 – 10 | 8,677.00 | 332.59 | |
| 11 – 12 | 10,423.00 | 399.51 | |
| 13+ | 14,644.00 | 561.30 | |
| Intensive Level 2 | 0 – 7 | 10,596.00 | 406.14 |
| 8 – 10 | 11,525.00 | 441.75 | |
| 11 – 12 | 13,916.00 | 533.40 | |
| 13+ | 19,530.00 | 748.58 | |
| Complex Level 1 | N/A | 21,177.00 | 811.71 |
| Complex Level 2 | N/A | 29,662.00 – 33,098.00 |
1,136.94 – 1,268.64 |
| Therapeutic Foster Care | 0 – 7 | 10,596.00 | 509.04 |
| (Circle Program) | 8 – 10 | 11,525.00 | 544.65 |
| 11 – 12 | 13,916.00 | 636.30 | |
| 13+ | 19,530.00 | 851.48 |
The reimbursement rates the caregiver receives are based on the assessment of the level of need of each child in their care. Matching a child with the level of reimbursement their care giver will receive is not a straight forward process, however DHS and CSO staff at the regional level will be able to negotiate appropriate matching whilst acknowledging that, for budgetary reasons, fixed limits for each category of reimbursement must apply.
Care givers are entitled to reimbursement for a child in their care until the child or young person reaches 18 years of age; completes the school year that they commenced prior to their 18th birthday; or gains full time employment.
Quarterly educational & health payments
As well as the fortnightly reimbursements, payments of up to $847 per child per year (pro rata, depending on how long a child or young person is in placement) are made to assist carers to meet the educational and health needs of children and young people in their care.
Other financial support
On a case-by-case basis, supplementary client expenses and Placement Support Grants are also available by application to assist with a range of additional expenses
