Regulation of care
When ongoing intervention with a child or young person and their family involves placing the child or young person away from their parents' care, our department is required to ensure that the child is assured a safe and acceptable standard of care.
The Child Protection Act 1999 provides the legislative framework which regulates the care provided to children when they are removed from their parents' care. It sets down the minimum requirements that our department must comply with in relation to children who are placed with foster carers and licensed care services. The standards for these placements are described in the statement of standards in the Act.
Individuals and organisations who provide care for children placed with them by our department are within the child protection system are required to be assessed and approved as suitable to care for these children by our department.
To ensure accountability of departmental decision making, foster carer applicants and approved foster carers have the right to have the department's decisions about their approval as a carer externally reviewed by the Children Service's Tribunal.
Our department approves and monitors the ongoing standards of care provided to children placed with carers and individuals who have been approved as carers.
Foster carer screening and assessment may be undertaken by our staff, by the staff of fostering agencies or by contracted fee-for-service human services professionals.
- Last updated
- 3 August 2007