Frequently
Asked Questions

Family Spirit offers outreach and mediation services to support contact with birth relatives at your own pace. This may include:

- Support with drafting a first letter.
- Agency-supported contact, where we act as a go-between.
- Gradual communication at a pace you're comfortable with.
- Facilitated face-to-face meetings, if and when desired.

Yes. Searching for a relative is a deeply personal and often complex decision. Our team can assist by collecting available information and conducting searches for adopted people, parents or siblings on your behalf.

Yes. Our team can support you in accessing adoption and former Catholic Children's Home records. We can guide you through the process, explain your entitlements under the Adoption Act 2000 (for adoptions that occurred before 2010), and assist you with reviewing your records.

Our Post Adoption Services support adopted people, birth parents, adoptive parents and siblings. We provide support across all life stages and understand that every adoption journey is unique.

If your foster child attends a systemic Sydney Catholic School within the Archdiocese of Sydney, a bursary is available to cover school fees for both primary and secondary students.

Yes. Foster carers receive a tax-free allowance to help cover the everyday costs of caring for a child, including food, clothing, education, transport and recreational activities.

Yes. Family Spirit supports the whole family throughout the fostering journey. Your own children are included in the process to help ensure they feel comfortable and supported.

Every foster carer is assigned a dedicated Case Manager who provides ongoing guidance through regular visits and phone support.

Carers also receive:

- Initial and ongoing training
- 24-hour on-call support
- Access to a confidential Carer Assistance Program
- Financial assistance
- Regular newsletters
- Social events and networking opportunities
- Scholarship opportunities at eligible Sydney Catholic Schools

The first step is to contact Family Spirit. Our team will discuss your circumstances, answer your questions, and guide you through the assessment, training and approval process.

In some circumstances, yes. If adoption is in the child's best interests, Family Spirit can support carers through the adoption process, as we are an accredited adoption agency.

Yes. We generally ask that your youngest child is at least two years older than the foster child to help ensure everyone's needs can be met.

Yes. Many foster carers continue working. We'll help you determine which types of care best suit your work schedule and lifestyle.

Yes. We welcome applications from single people, with or without children, as well as couples in stable relationships.

No. Your home simply needs to be safe and suitable for children. Foster children must have their own bed and may share a bedroom with a sibling, but not with an adult or one of your own children.

Generally, you should:

- Be at least 21 years old
- Be in good physical and emotional health
- Provide a safe and stable home
- Enjoy caring for children and young people

If you're unsure about your circumstances, our team can discuss your options with you.

Family Spirit welcomes carers from diverse cultural backgrounds, family structures and life experiences. Each application is assessed individually to determine whether you can provide a safe, stable and nurturing home.

As a foster carer, you have the right to:

- Be valued and treated with respect
- Receive training and ongoing support
- Receive clear guidance from Family Spirit
- Access your personal records
- Understand and use the complaints process

As a foster carer, you are responsible for:

- Following Family Spirit policies and the Carer Code of Conduct
- Supporting children's relationships with their birth families
- Respecting children's culture, identity and religion
- Meeting children's health and education needs
- Working with Family Spirit to support each child's care plan

Good foster carers are:

- Committed to helping children and young people
- Patient, flexible and resilient
- Strong communicators
- Able to work collaboratively with Family Spirit and other professionals
- Supportive of children's relationships with their birth families
- Open to learning and ongoing training

Family Spirit offers a range of care options to suit the needs of children and carers, including:

- Emergency care
- Respite care
- Short-term care
- Long-term care
- Kinship care
- Pre-adoptive care

The type of care depends on each child's individual circumstances and needs.

Children and young people enter foster care because they cannot safely remain with their birth families. This may be due to abuse, neglect, family violence, parental mental illness, disability, family crisis, or a lack of family support. The goal is always to achieve the best possible outcome for the child.

Being a foster carer means providing a safe, caring home for someone else's child when they are unable to live with their birth family. Foster carers look after children but are not their legal guardians.