Foster and kinship care services are responsible for recruiting, training, assessing and supporting carers who have been approved by the department (some foster and kinship care services may also support carers who have been provisionally approved by the department, while those carers are undertaking the formal departmental carer approval process).

Foster and kinship care is provided to a child or young person with moderate to high support needs in a carer's home. Foster and kinship carers should have access to regular and emergency respite, facilitated by the service (some foster and kinship carers are supported directly by the department and not a non-government foster and kinship care service).

Foster and kinship care services are licensed within each zone, at their site coordination point.

Foster and kinship care services must comply with the relevant criteria outlined in Appendix 3 of the Out-of-Home Care Services Licensing Manual.

The licensing process does not involve an assessment of a departmentally approved carer and their house as this assessment is already done through the departmental carer approval process.

Residential care services are provided by paid employees or contract workers to a child or young person in residential premises. These employees or workers may include rostered or live-in staff. Residential care usually involves small group care (up to six places) though may also include individual care.

Residential care is primarily for young people aged 12-17 years and mainly with complex and extreme support needs, though may also accommodate sibling groups or other young people with moderate to high needs.

Residential care services that provide care to three or more young people per premises are licensed at each site – that is, one licence per premises.

Residential care services that provide care to less than three young people per premises can be licensed zonally at a coordination point.

Residential care services must comply with the relevant criteria outlined in Appendix 3 of the Out-of-Home Care Services Licensing Manual.

For services licensed at a coordination point, there is no maximum limit to the number of premises located within that zone that can be attached to one licence.

Additional premises may be added to a licence that has already been granted, however each premises must be sighted and approved by a departmental staff member before it can be attached to a licence.

Specialist foster care services are responsible for recruiting, training, assessing and supporting carers who have been approved by the department. Specialist foster care is provided to a child or young person, with complex to extreme support needs in a carer's home (some specialist foster care services may also support carers who have been provisionally approved by the department, while those carers are undertaking the formal departmental carer approval process).

Carers supported by specialist foster care services should have access to regular and emergency respite, facilitated by the service.

Specialist foster care services are licensed within each zone, at their site coordination point.

Specialist foster care services must comply with the relevant criteria outlined in Appendix 3 of the Out-of-Home Care Services Licensing Manual.

The licensing process does not involve an assessment of a departmentally approved carer and their house as this assessment is already done through the departmental carer approval process.

Supported independent living services are provided by paid employees or contract workers to a child or young person in residential premises. These employees or workers do not usually live at the premises or provide overnight care but provide external support through regular visiting.

Supported independent living is usually for young people aged 15-17 years with moderate to high support needs who are transitioning to independent living. Supported independent living may involve small group or individual care.

Supported independent living services that provide care to three or more young people per premises are licensed at each site – that is, one licence per premises.

Supported independent living services that provide care to less than three young people per premises can be zonally licensed at a coordination point.

Supported independent living services must comply with the relevant criteria outlined in Appendix 3 of the Out-of-Home Care Services Licensing Manual.

For services that are licensed at a coordination point, there is no maximum limit to the number of premises located within that zone that can be attached to one licence.  Additional premises may be added to a licence that has already been granted, however each premises must be sighted and approved by a departmental staff member before it can be attached to a licence.