Types of Foster Care

Welcoming a child or young person into your home is a meaningful decision that shapes lives. Understanding the different types of foster care helps you decide how you can best offer support. Every child’s background and needs are unique, which is why Family Spirit offers flexible foster care placement types across New South Wales.

What are the different types of foster care?

To help you explore how you can support a child or young person, here is a summary of the main foster care types. You can also read more about our foster care services to learn how our agency assists families across NSW.

Emergency care

Emergency care provides immediate, short-term accommodation for children who need a safe environment during unexpected family crises. This temporary arrangement gives support workers time to evaluate long-term plans while keeping the child safe.

Learn more about emergency and crisis care

Respite care

Respite care offers planned, short-term support for primary carers, typically over a weekend or a few days each month. Giving main carers time to rest ensures children receive consistent, nurturing attention in a refreshed setting.

Explore our respite care options

Long-Term care

When returning to a birth family is not possible, long-term care offers children a safe, stable home through their growing years until adulthood. This arrangement allows carers to build lasting bonds and provide emotional security.

Discover long-term foster care

Permanent care

Permanent care gives children legal certainty and a permanent family unit when they cannot return home. It creates a lifelong sense of belonging and stability through guardianship or adoption arrangements.

Open Your Heart to a Child in Need

Every child deserves a safe place where they feel loved, accepted and supported. Whichever types of foster care suit your lifestyle, whether you can offer a weekend a month or a lifelong home, your support transforms lives. Contact our caring team today to learn how you can become a foster carer.

Get in touch

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Our Location

We provide services from our premises in Bankstown in Sydney.

Level 3, 2 Meredith Street Banktown NSW 2200

Feedback & Complaints

At Family Spirit we want to hear from you. Sharing your compliments, suggestions, and complaints is key to ensuring we continue to provide the best possible care and service, while also safeguarding the wellbeing of the children and young people in our care.

We encourage you to share your feedback with us directly.

For complaints, please contact us at: complaints@familyspirit.org

Foster Care FAQ’S

Find the answers to some frequently asked questions about becoming a foster carer.

Visit our FAQs