Foster care

• About foster and kinship care
  • What is foster care?
  • What is kinship care?
  • Who needs care?
  • Provisionally approved carers
  • Specialist foster care
  • Non family-based care
• Becoming a carer
  • Expression of interest
    • Register your interest
  • Questions to consider
  • Rewards and challenges
  • Steps to becoming a carer
  • Blue card for carers
• Carer training
  • Foster carer training
    • Foreword
    • Procedures and guidelines
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Orientation
    • Learning outcomes
    • Pre-service training
    • Learning journal
    • Standard training
    • Advanced training
    • Recognition of prior learning
    • Acknowledgments
    • Forms and templates
  • Kinship carer training
• Support for carers
  • Carer handbook
  • Federal Government allowances and benefits
  • Foster and kinship care support line
  • Foster and Kinship Carer Card
    • Business Discount Directory
      • Tips on using the card
      • Nominate a business
    • ADSS Shopper
    • Information for businesses
      • Business proposal application form
      • Terms and conditions
    • Frequently asked questions
  • Financial support
  • Support care
  • Support groups
• Rights and responsibilities
  • Standards of care
  • Statement of commitment
  • Charter of rights of a child in care
  • United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
• Case planning for a child in care
  • Child Health Passport
  • Children and young people with disabilities
  • Education Support Plans
  • Family contact and reunification
  • Long-term guardianship
  • Placement Agreements
  • Transition from care
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
  • Child placement principle
  • Recognised Entities
• Regulation of care
  • Screening and assessment
  • Matters of concern
  • Community Visitors
• Contacts
  • Community foster care agencies
  • Indigenous foster care agencies
  • Peak bodies and advocacy groups
  • Foster and Kinship Carer Card contacts
• Library

Steps to becoming a carer

Carers can have a positive impact on a child or young person's life, and can provide the extra support children need in what can be a difficult and confusing time in their lives:

• they are regular everyday people who are able to care for children in a safe, stable and supportive environment.
• they can be an individual, couple or family of different ages, backgrounds and family circumstances.
• you do not have to be well off or have a large home to become a carer. You do need however, to be committed to meeting the individual needs of children in your care.

What do I need to do?

It takes all types of people from all walks of life to care for children. To become an approved carer you will need to participate in an assessment process and where relevant, complete pre-service training:

• Carers may also have to complete additional specialist training to cater for a child's particular physical or emotional needs.
• Carers need to be willing to maintain ongoing relationships between children and their families to support family reunification.
• Carers need to be patient and show understanding to children in their care. It is important that they are considerate of their own emotions, the emotions of their family and the emotions of children being fostered.

To become a foster or kinship carer, it is recommended that you complete the following activities:

Activity	Details	Foster carers	Kinship carers
Household safety study	Completed by the person making the assessment, it includes mandatory safety requirements that must be met prior to approval.
Application for approval (APA) form	Provides important information to the department to help with personal history checks for you and your adult household members. This includes consideration of criminal and child protection history, and where necessary, domestic violence and traffic history.
Blue card application	An application for a blue card must be completed by applicants and any other adult members of the household. We can assist with this process.
Health and well-being questionnaire	Conducted by the person making the assessment. You, your children (depending on their age), any adult household members and significant others will be included.
Required interviews	Conducted by the person making the assessment. You, your children (depending on their age), any adult household members and significant others will be included.
Pre-service training	Provides you with the skills and knowledge you need to commence your role as a carer.		N/A

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Last updated

3 August 2007