Financial Support for Carers – FCAV Advocacy

I am acutely aware of the additional financial burden and stress many carer households are facing at the present time as Victoria continues with Stage 3 restrictions including additional bills, food, entertainment and remote learning related costs which are not covered by the care allowance. Likewise, carers are not automatically among the cohort of recipients for stimulus payments or other national COVID-19 driven subsidies and payments.

I am very clear that all foster carers volunteering to care for children and young people through the coronavirus pandemic should be financially supplemented and automatically receive stimulus payments. At present, foster carers who do not already receive the specified federal payments are ineligible for financial support even though they are providing essential care for disadvantaged and vulnerable children.

The FCAV team and I are strongly advocating not only for the cash payments that are currently only directed to Federal Government welfare recipients, but increased payments through existing state funding mechanisms.

Sam Hauge

CEO

Foster Care Association of Victoria