DHCS - Foster Care

Foster Care

Foster carers are a crucial part of the care and protection system for children in the ACT. They provide nurturing environments for our most vulnerable children. Caring for children who are unable to live at home is an enormously important contribution to the community.

Following from the introduction of the Children & Young People Act 1999, reform in the area of out of home care now means that the non-government sector is responsible for the delivery of all foster care programs in the ACT.

Although the Office for Children, Youth and Family Support no longer delivers foster care services directly, it continues to play a pivitol role in establishing stable arrangements and overall care plans for children in care and for monitoring the overall quality of the care system. As a quality control mechanism, contracts entered into by out of home care agencies with the Office for Children, Youth and Family Support for the provision of out-of home care are now governed by a set of Out of Home Care standards.

Foster carers are central to the provision of out of home care. The Act specifically anticipates that the Chief Executive will enter into agreements with carers to carry out parental responsibilty for the Chief Executive. When this occurs, the out of home care agencies take responsibilty for supporting carers to make any practical arrangements that are needed for the child. These might include; providing transport to contact, arranging dental and medical appointments. The roles and responsibilities of the Office for Children, Youth and family Support and agencies will depend on the existence and nature of any court orders made by the Children's Court.