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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 Director-General will enter into agreements with carers to carry out parental responsibilty for the Director-General. 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 responsibility 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.

More Information

Foster Care Agencies:

Barnardos Australia External Link
phone: (02) 62415466
fax: (02) 6241 4560

Marymead Child & Family Centre External Link
phone: (02) 6162 5800
fax: (02) 6295 9944

Communities @Work External Link
phone: (02) 6290 2191
fax: (02) 6290 2512

Richmond Fellowship External Link
phone: (02) 6262 9869

 

Anglicare External Link
phone: (02) 6232 2488
fax: (02) 6232 2422

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foster Care Service
phone: (02) 6205 3178

Care and Protection:

Care Orders Team
phone: (02) 6207 1069
fax: (02) 6207 1020

Family Work Team
phone: (02) 6207 1466
fax: (02) 6205 5684

  Adoptions, Permanent Care and Post Order Support
phone: (02) 6207 1335
fax: (02) 6207 1020
Quality Practice and Compliance
phone: (02) 6207 4579
fax: (02) 6207 1428
 

Centralised Intake Service
phone: 1300 556 729 (General Public)
phone: 1300 556 728 (Mandated Reports)
fax: (02) 6205 0648 (General)
fax: (02) 6205 0641 (Mandated Reports)

Email: childprotection@act.gov.au

Kinship Care Support Team
phone: (02) 6205 4966
fax: (02) 6207 1020

Youth Transition Team
phone: (02) 6205 3803

Carer Liaison Officer
phone: (02) 6205 9357

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