Foster carers are changing lives but they need more support to do so

The economic and social arguments for investment in foster care are too great to ignore, writes Deb Tsorbaris. 

Foster carers have long been heralded the bedrock of the child and family services sector, supplying an invaluable service to vulnerable children and parents and alleviating pressure on statutory systems. 

Whether it’s providing a safe and loving home for a child, or respite for a struggling parent, foster carers make life-changing contributions to the community that are deserving of widespread recognition. 

Due to the situations in which child protection services are involved, children who enter care are more likely to have significant and complex needs which, if left unaddressed, can escalate, to drive poor long-term health, employment and education outcomes. 

Foster carers play a critical role in intervening early, to support these children in their times of need, and to guide them to lead rich and fulfilling lives. There is economic value in foster caring too, with recent studies estimating the economic benefit of foster caring in Victoria to be more than $450 million every year. 

Foster caring is usually a highly rewarding experience, with many carers reporting that it gives them a new perspective on life. Becoming a carer is a huge decision to make, and not one to be taken lightly, but the decision can also be temporary, with many people choosing to be foster carers for a set period of time. Whether it’s a year or a day, the contribution made by foster carers is making a difference.

The COVID-19 pandemic created an uptick in demand for out of home care, as many families faced unprecedented difficulty and uncertainty. During this time, the sector relied heavily on foster carers as its frontline workers. Although in practice the pandemic is over in Australia, demand for foster carers has remained constant.

Finding ways to decrease demand for services while increasing supply is a complex task, but there are evidence-based models that work.

Early intervention models that keep families together and in the safety of their own homes where possible prevent children coming into care, and are widely considered to hold the key to Victoria’s out of home care solutions. Improved access to services and adequate financial assistance are just two examples of interventions that enable families to provide for themselves, but there are many more.

Elsewhere, we need to address the barriers to foster caring that so many carers and prospective carers report. Many feel unprepared for the impact of caring on their lives, and struggle to navigate the complexities of the systems children are part of. Financial and personal costs are also often cited as major issues. 

There are many fantastic foster agencies that provide the support, training and advice that many carers need, but more investment is required to support these organisations to respond to the needs of carers. Mockingbird Family is an evidence-informed model that creates a community of support for local foster carers, enabling carers to be part of a broader community on which they can rely for information, support and advice about foster caring.

There are also effective models that provide carers with the skills required to respond to complex needs. For example, Treatment Foster Care Oregon is a specialised foster care program that supplies trained carers to children and young people with complex behaviours, easing the burden on non-specialised carers.

To compensate for the financial costs incurred by some carers, the federal government should step up to support prospective carers by increasing Centrelink payments to foster and kinship carers. The government would also benefit from an improved understanding of the social and economic factors that drive prospective carers away.

The economic and social arguments for investment in foster care are too great to ignore. Investment in growing and sustaining foster care is urgently needed. 

We need a system with the capacity to place children in homes that are right for them, and to support their needs when required. For this to be achieved, we need to combine a strong residential care system with a wide pool of foster and kinship carers, to ensure that every child has their needs met. We’re not there yet, but if everyone plays their part, we’ll get there eventually.