Foster Care: Every child deserves a safe home

Last year, in the Hunter region alone, 2,106 children were placed in out-of-home care, highlighting the significant need for safe and nurturing homes. God is described as ‘a father to the fatherless’ and one who ‘sets the lonely in families’ (Psalm 68:5-6). As Christians, this call to care for vulnerable children resonates deeply with the Father’s heart, and we have the opportunity to make a real difference in foster children’s lives.

During Foster Care Week, October 23 to 29, we’d love for you to learn with us how to support foster carers, discover local foster care recourses and even consider how you can open your heart and home as a foster carer. Every child deserves a safe and loving home, and you can make that a reality!

The Need Is Great

How to get started with Foster Care

Every agency has different processes but this is a general step by step process to becoming a foster career:

Step 1: Initial Phone Conversation
To start, you’ll have a simple phone chat with the assessment team. This is just an introduction to express your interest in foster care. A lot of foster care agencies also have a quick online quiz you can do to help determine what kind of foster care would suit you best which you can send through to the agency as a first point of contact.

Step 2: Home Interview
Case managers will visit your home for a friendly chat. They’ll assess your living environment, discuss why you want to foster care, and answer any questions you have.

Step 3: Attend Training
You won’t be alone in this leap. You’ll get full training to learn the basics of foster care. It’s designed to help you understand what’s involved and how to handle it.

Step 4: Submit your Application
After the training, it’s time for the paperwork! This is where you’ll submit your application form.

Step 5: Interviews with Case Managers
You’ll have a few interviews with friendly case managers to assess your readiness for foster care. Just be open and honest about your willingness to make a difference.

Overall this process will likely take a minimum of six months and will involve background checks and home inspections to ensure the safety and well-being of the children. Stay in touch with the assessment team and stay committed to the journey. Foster care is a rewarding responsibility, and the process is worth it.

How to support foster care families

1. Offer emotional support and encouragement

Foster parenthood and the hustle and bustle that comes with it can be a lot at times. Just be there for your foster care family, check in regularly, offer to pray with them and for them, be a listening ear and offer encouragement when it’s appropriate.

2. Make a meal

Foster care families go through the same transition and adjustment period that anyone does welcoming a new child into the family. So just like you would make a meal for a family that have just welcomed a biological child, a meal is a great way to take some of the food prep pressure off during that adjustment stage or any point in their journey. With all the extra appointments foster carers take on for their new foster children it’s also a load off to have a meal prepared for them.

3. Welcome the child who is newly placed

Talk with the foster parents about how you can help with the transition and make them feel welcome. That might look like bringing a gift over for the child, making them a card, organising a play date with your kids or something in between.

4. Become a primary supporter for a family

Foster care families can always use some practical support in two ways:

• Helping with transport:  Foster care children often have additional appointments, providing rides for after school activities, visits and other activities can be very helpful.
• Providing respite care: Whether you can have the children for just the morning or the entire weekend, your practical support will be sure to help.

5. Pray

Keep the foster care family and their foster children in your prayers, you can pray for:

• The foster child’s adjustment as many experience trauma and grief being separated from their biological family
• The foster child’s biological family, that there will be restoration
• That the foster child would build bonds with the new family while they are with them
• That the right health care connections will be lined up for the foster child
• Pray for wisdom for all parties concerned as each child’s case is different

Read stories of local foster carers

Statistics were taken from Child Protection Australia 2020–21 and ASR 2021-22 Children and Families Thrive – CP