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The budget handed down this morning has failed to improve the financial and bureaucratic conditions which are inhibiting the work and retention of our foster carers. The Foster Care Association of Victoria’s carer data, representing 4,300 foster carers in this state, is still showing a flood of good carers exiting because funding is slow to catch up with the true costs and supports needed to care.  Read more...

Early in March 2018, The Foster Care Association wrote to Treasurer Tim Pallas, urging him to include funding for important reforms to support current and future foster care, in the upcoming state budget.Read more...

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will soon be releasing a new policy for carers and workers on the use of emergency physical restraint on children and young people in Out of Home Care.Read more...

The reportable conduct scheme commenced on 1 July 2017 and has been introduced to improve oversight of how organisations prevent and respond to allegations of child abuse. The scheme requires centralised reporting to the Commission for Children and Young People of allegations of child abuse made against workers or volunteers in relevant services with a high level of responsibility for children and young people, such as out of home care services.Read more...

WHAT IS CIMS?Read more...

Conference FeesRead more...

The Department of Human Services have released an information sheet for your Child Protection case workers to follow when obtaining a birth certificate for children in out-of-home care. If you require a birth certificate this is the process to follow.Read more...

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The Foster Care Association has been holding Facebook live webinars with topics relevant to carers. Please note the webinars will not work in Internet Explorer browser.Read more...

Australia has 9,900 foster carer households and 13,700 relative/kinship households caring for 43,400 children in out-of-home care. Given the higher number of children in care, compared to carers, it is not surprising that over half (52%) of all foster care households have multiple placements (2-4 foster children) compared to 39% of relative/kinship households. A range of financial and non-financial supports are required to support and sustain placements, prevent carer burnout and the breakdown of placements. An important component of financial support is carer remuneration (i.e. care allowance/subsidy). Ongoing difficulties in carer recruitment/retention, and the increasing costs of children, suggests it is appropriate to consider the current levels of carer allowances provided by the eight jurisdictions and discuss how levels compare to current Foster Care Estimates (FCEs). The FCEs, based on the costs of children not in care, are adjusted to reflect estimates of the day-to-day costs of caring for children in different age groups. The ongoing absence of a national framework setting levels of subsidies fails to ensure adequacy and equity for all carers. This paper looks at the state of play and how, in relation to remuneration, carers in the various States are faring in relation to the FCEs.Read more...

Victorian foster carers are reimbursed at among the worst rate in Australia, despite having the most children admitted to out of home care anywhere across the nation in the past year.Read more...