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“A good carer is someone who’s patient, who is resilient, whose heart is open. It can be challenging but it is extremely rewarding when you see the difference in these kid’s lives that you can make when they come to live with you.”
Foster Care
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Fiona K, Foster Care Trainer and Assessor
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There is no such thing as a ‘perfect’ carer. You don’t have to be married, have children or own your home. However, patience, energy and an open heart go a long way towards helping a foster child. It is also essential that you can provide a living environment that is physically and emotionally safe for the child.
Modern foster care is a vital part of a broader strategy to reunite a child with their natural family in a safe environment. Foster carers are required to collaborate with others who are working to achieve that outcome, including the child's caseworkers, medical professionals, teachers and the child's birth parents.
What does it take to be a foster carer?
Come along to our free workshop
Shared Lives: Introduction to Foster Care
We support our carers every step of the way
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The different types of Foster Care
Right now, there are more than 20,000 children in NSW who cannot live with their birth families because of neglect, family breakdown, physical, emotional or sexual abuse,
drug or alcohol use.
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The open adoption pathway for foster carers
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Open adoption is the mutually agreed contact between adoptive and birth families so that the child can remain connected to their biological family and cultural heritage.
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See the FACS information sheet on adoption, including open adoption >
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Guardianship for foster carers
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Guardianship differs from adoption in that it legally grants the guardian independent control to make decisions on behalf of a child, while the child still maintains a legal connection to their birth family. It is a common path for caregivers who are related to the child. We assist long term foster carers who are considering becoming a child’s legal guardian.
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See the FACS information sheet about the pathway from foster care to guardianship >
Adoption and Guardianship
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