Let's Talk about Foster Care
Foster care is providing a secure, safe and supportive home environment to children and young people who can no longer reside with their families. Children and young people enter into Permanency Support (Foster Care) for a myriad of reasons, but generally they have experienced a degree of trauma, neglect and abuse that required intervention and removal for their own safety and wellbeing.
Foster Carers open their homes and hearts and assist these children and young people by providing homes with nurturing environments, that allows these children and young people to feel comfortable and supported so they can grow and develop in a happy and healthy way.
What are the Different types of carers?
Foster Carers, Kinship Carers and Relative Carers play an essential role in:
- supporting children and young people in immediate need
- restoration as we work with families to return children and young people home safely
- providing vulnerable families with some time out to strengthen their parenting.
Increasingly, the role of Foster Care will be to provide a safe and loving home for children and young people while more permanent arrangements are explored.
Who can become a carer?
People from all walks of life can apply to be a carer, regardless of their different backgrounds, beliefs, life experiences and family types. You must be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident in good health. You and your household will be required to pass a series of checks including Police and Working with Children Checks, and complete initial training prior to becoming authorised as a Carer.
What makes a great carer?
There is no such thing as the ‘Perfect carer’. Every carer is different, just as every child is different and we take time to pair carers and children accordingly. Regardless of your age, income, employment, marital status, or otherwise, your commitment to caring for a child and providing a safe home is what matters most.
How are our foster carers supported?
Veritas House provides the following support:
Ongoing training and education
Help with maintaining birth family connection
24 hour emergency on call service
Financial assistance
Regular respite
A dedicated caseworker for each child-providing practical and emotional support
What happens next?
Would you like to find out more about becoming a Foster Carer with Veritas House? We recommend you look at our Frequently Asked Questions.
After that, we encourage you to submit an enquiry and one of our Carer Hub team will be in contact with you.
Interim care
Interim Care is a temporary solution for children and young people who need immediate care and protection, while longer-term care is identified. Veritas House Interim Care Homes provide a safe, child-friendly, and home-like environment, with stability and predictability through a consistent team of qualified and trained staff for the duration of child or young person’s stay.
The parenting team are responsible for supporting the children and young people to participate in everyday routines, education, cultural and social activities, while work is being undertaken to support the young person to transition to permanency arrangements or a foster care placement.
Utilising a Neuro-developmentally and Trauma Informed model of care, which is based on current evidence and research, the service model is designed to meet the needs of children and young people who have experienced developmental trauma, and who may have other complex support needs, for instance support for mental health and/or disability.
To find out more or to speak to a team member regarding becoming a foster carer please call 1300 011 973 or email contact@veritashouse.org.au