Foster Care

Welcome to the Myspace of Foster Care in Victoria, Australia. If you would like to become a carer, or are interested in receiving further information regarding foster care, please contact your local agency as listed in the "I'd Like To Meet" section.
If you would like to speak to others who are currently fostering or interested in fostering, visit the Victorian Foster Care Forum . You can also visit the Victorian Foster Care Blog for more information about foster care and details of foster care in the news.
What is foster care?
Foster care provides safe & supportive homes for children & teenagers when they are unable to live with theirn own families. The aim of foster care is to reunite children with their own families.
In Victoria, foster care is provided by members of the community who are involved with a community service organisation, or CSO, which is commissioned by the Department of Human Services to provide these services.
There are several types of foster care programs in Victoria. Some CSOs provide a variety of programs, and some only provide one or two. Some of these programs are:
* General Foster Care - for children aged 0-18 years
* Disability - respite & full-time foster care for children & young people 0-18 with a disability or developmental delay
* Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC) - for children & young people with complex needs
* Adolescent Community Placement (ACP) - for young people aged 13-17 years
All children in foster care live in different circumstances, and therefore have different needs. Children can require safe, loving & supportive care:
* immediately
* in a few weeks
* overnight
* one weekend a month
* for a few months
* for several years
Foster carers may choose the length of care they are willing to provide, and may even specify the age or gender of children they are willing to provide care for.
Who can be a foster carer?
Foster carers are people from the community who are:
* from all backgrounds & cultures
* single, married or in a de facto relationship
* working full time, part time, studying, or not in paid employment
* living alone, with family, or in a shared household or rented property
* childless or have children
* aged between 20 - 80 years

What kind of commitment is required to be a foster carer?
Foster carers are able to decide what best suits them, and are able to go on hold at any stage for any length of time, although potential carers are asked to think carefully before they commit to a placement, as stability is extremely important to children in care.
Why do some children need foster care?
There are a range of reasons why children come in to care, including poverty, lack of support, disability, mental illness or medical issues, family crisis, abandonment, neglect, drug or alcohol issues, or emotional, physical or sexual abuse.
What sort of reimbursement is available to foster carers?
Being a foster carer is a voluntary role & therefore there is no salary involved. However, foster carers receive a fortnightly non-taxable allowance for each night that they have a child in their care. This is to help meet the costs of food, clothing, & general living expenses for the child. The actual amount of reimbursement varies depending on a number of factors.
Intensive foster carers (who care for children & young people with intensive needs) receive a higher rate of reimbursement than do general foster carers, as well as extra training. This includes children & young people in the Disability program (who have an intellectual disability or developmental delay), as well as many with intensive physical, emotional or behavioural needs.
Complex foster carers receive the highest rate of reimbursement & training. These carers usually provide one-to-one care for children & young people aged 7-18 years who have extremely high, complex needs, and require specialised care and support. This includes young people in Enhanced Adolescent Community Placements as well as many Therapeutic Foster Care placements.