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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 cards for carers
  • Blue cards for existing carers and their adult household members
• 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
• Children and young people
  • Transitioning from care
  • Info kit for children and young people in care
    • Family group meeting (FGM)
    • Case plan
    • Education support plan (ESP)
    • Child health passport (CHP)
    • Transition from care (TFC)
    • Matters of concern (MOC)
    • Complaints
  • Children and young people's participation strategy
• 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
    • 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 for 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

Matters of concern (MOC)

What is a matter of concern (MOC)?

Sometimes the department may get serious information that your carer (foster carer, kinship carer or residential care worker) is not caring for you properly.

A MOC is serious information that means the department needs to talk to you and your carer about your care and safety.

It is information about the standard of care being provided to you by your carer. You can ask your CSO for a copy of the 'statement of standards'.

What does the department do if they get a MOC?

The department will:

• talk to your carer and any other people they need to about any concerns you or they have about your care and placement
• talk to you to find out if you are being cared for properly and to make sure you are safe.

The Department does this to make sure you are being cared for safely.

What can happen?

The Department or the licensed care service (for example a residential care service) may develop a plan to help your carer or youth worker care for you in the future.

In really serious cases where there are concerns for your safety, it may be decided that you should be moved from your placement. Your views will be taken into account where possible.

Who can help and support you during a MOC?

• you can have a support person, who you choose, to help you take part in the MOC process
• you can also have an advocate, who is someone who can speak, act or write on your behalf - their job is to support and protect your best interests and wellbeing
• the department can help you choose a support person or advocate if you like and organise for them to help you.

Who might you choose as your support person and/or advocate?

• your CSO
• a caseworker from a licensed care service (for example a residential care service) or community agency
• a worker from your Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander service
• a counsellor who you may be seeing as part of your case plan
• a youth advocate from Legal Aid.

Who can I talk to for more information?

• your CSO
• your Community Visitor
• the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian
  • Phone: (07) 3247 5525
  • Freecall: 1800 688 275

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Last updated

15 January 2009