Premier

Recognising Foster And Kinship Carers Across Victoria

11 September 2019

The incredible work of foster and kinship carers is being celebrated across Victoria as part of the annual Foster and Kinship Carer Week.

With around 4,000 kinship care and 1600 foster care households across Victoria, it’s an important opportunity to recognise them for the incredible work they do and encourage others to think about making a difference in a young person’s life by becoming a foster carer.

The Andrews Labor Government provides support to assist both kinship carers and foster carers, including $116 million to continue to deliver a new model of kinship care.

The new model identifies kinship carers earlier, strengthens community connections for Aboriginal children in care and delivers better, more flexible support to kinship carers and the children in their care.

More than 4,600 foster and kinship carers have also attended learning and development training sessions through the Labor Government’s Carer KaFE initiative, which includes tailored training to meet the individual needs of carers, on mental health, cultural competency and dealing with trauma.

The initiative also offers opportunities for carers to participate in online training, camps, retreats and conferences such as the National Foster and Kinship Care Conference.

The Labor Government is encouraging all Victorians to open their homes to a foster child as part of its recruitment campaign undertaken through Fostering Connections.

The campaign features real foster carers who inspire others in the community to become a foster carer and focuses on what makes the role of being a foster carer so unique and important.

To learn more about how to foster a child please visit fosteringconnections.com.auExternal Link

Quotes attributable to Minister for Child Protection Luke Donnellan

“Foster and Kinship Care Week is an important opportunity to show the community what it means to be a carer and celebrate the work they do.”

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our foster and kinship carers for their commitment and dedication. We wouldn’t be able to improve the lives of so many young people without your support.”

“There’s nothing more important than protecting our kids. For all the challenges, it is also rewarding and for anyone considering fostering a child, we’d encourage you to get involved.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

Was this page helpful?