Foster Care (a type of Out of Home Care) supports children and young people by providing them a stable home environment with a therapeutic framework when they can no longer lives with their parents.
The services provide a safe, nurturing environment to assist children and young people to develop and grow, whilst maintaining their family links and cultural identities.
For some children and young people this is a short period – weeks or months – and for others, they will need to grow up permanently in a new family. The care needs of children in OOHC are very complex, uniquely individual and will be dependent on their history and the traumas they have experienced prior to entering care.
Types of Foster Care
While Out of Home Care is often referred to simply as foster care, there are a number of different types of care for children and young people who enter OOHC.
The types of care include;
Emergency Care
When children and young people need immediate care to ensure their safety, they require carers to be available at very short notice. This type of care can be required for days, weeks or up to 3 months whilst further planning is undertaken to ensure the best care option for the child or young person.
Short Term Care
This care arrangement may be required for children and young people for a period of up to two years when the goal is to support the child or young person return to their family.
Permanent Care
In some situations, children and young people are unable to return their birth family and require a new family to care for them until maturity.
Respite Care
Respite care involves caring for a child or young person on an occasional basis. This usually occurs over weekends or school holidays and is planned in advance.