Urgent Care for Ben and Jordan

Being a foster carer means caring for someone else’s child in your own home, but not being the child’s legal guardian.

Children and young people need care because they are unable to live with their birth families. The reasons vary and include physical abuse, neglect of basic needs, parental mental illness, domestic violence, disability or family crisis, and lack of family supports.

Foster carers need to be over the age of 21 and in good health. You should also be able to provide a safe, stable and caring home environment, and most of all you should enjoy caring for children and young people.

To speak to someone about you personal circumstances and desire to care, please call us on 13 18 19 or contact us online.

Ideally a good foster carer will:

- have a strong a commitment to children and young people
- be patient, flexible and resilient
- have good communication skills
- have the ability to work collaboratively and in the best interests of the child/children
- be able to meet the needs of a child, including supporting them to maintain relationships with their families
- have a willingness to learn

If you’d like to know more about becoming a foster carer, please contact us online or register to attend an upcoming information session.

Each Family Spirit foster carer is allocated a case manager who provides support and supervision through regular home visits and phone calls.

Carers and their families also have access to the Family Spirit Care for the Carer package which includes:

- Initial and ongoing training
- Access to our Carer Assistance Program which includes free counselling support for each family member
- 24-hour on call support
- Scholarships to systemic Sydney Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Sydney
- Financial support
- Monthly newsletterSocial events for carers and families

Find out more about the training and support on offer.

The type of care required will depend on the need of each child or young person. Care options include:

- Emergency care: being available 24-hours a day for a child in crisis
- Respite care: short stays that provide parents or foster carers with a much needed break
- Short term care: providing care for a period of time while working with families for the safe return of the child to their family
- Kinship care: caring for a child that is related to you
- Long term care: providing permanent foster care for a child until they are 18 years of age. This can include guardianship and adoption, where it is appropriate for the child or young person
- Pre-adoptive care: caring for newborn babies while the birth parents consider adoption

Find out more about our flexible care options.

Family Spirit recognises the importance of supporting the whole family. Your children are included in the process to ensure they are comfortable with their family caring for other children and young people.

Your home needs to be child friendly and safe. You will need to provide the child/ren with their own bed, but they can share a bedroom with a sibling, but not with an adult or one of your children.

To find out more about becoming a carer and what’s involved, register for an upcoming information session.

All carers receive a tax-free allowance to help cover day-to-day expenses for the child such as food, clothing, education, travel and leisure activities.

If your foster child attends a systemic Sydney Catholic School in the Archdiocese of Sydney you have access to a bursary that covers school fees. This applies to primary and secondary school students.

Yes, we welcome applications from people who are single, with or without children, as well as couples in stable relationships. We will help you explore your network of family and friends to support you.

Yes, we understand that people may need to work alongside caring for a child. Talk to us about this and we can help you to consider what kinds of care might be most appropriate for you. Our team is available on 13 18 19 (Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm) or you can contact us online.

Yes you can. We ask that your youngest child is two years older than a foster child to ensure the needs of both children can be met.

In some cases this may be possible if this is in the best interests of the child. As an accredited adoptions agency, Family Spirit is able to train and authorise carers to become both foster carers and adoptive parents.

Family Spirit takes a personal approach with each application by taking into account individual circumstances. The first step is to call us on 13 18 19 or submit an online enquiry so we can guide you through the steps.

As a foster carer, you have the right to:

- Be valued in your role as a carer and be treated with respect
- Receive training and support from Family Spirit
- Receive clear directions around the requirements of Family Spirit
- Access the personal information Family Spirit holds on your fileBe provided with information about Family Spirit’s complaints process

As a foster carer, you are responsible for:

- Following the carer code of conduct and policies of Family Spirit
- Respecting a child’s connection to their birth family, and supporting contact with them
- Assisting the child with maintaining connections with their culture and to practice their religion
- Following the behaviour management policy of the agency
- Ensuring the child’s health and educational needs are met
- Working with the case plan for the child and communicating with the agency regarding the child’s needs