Generally, our carers are aged 25-70. If you are below 25, contact us to discuss further options.
Complete the required medical checks during the assessment process.
Be prepared to have the required child-related checks.
Tell us if you have previously applied with another agency.
If undergoing or planning to undergo fertility treatment, finalise your involvement with the fertility program twelve months prior to considering foster care.
Have a spare bedroom and a safe and welcoming home environment.
Be ready to participate and engage in mandatory and ongoing training and learning.
Hold a current driver’s license and a willingness to drive.
At least one carer applicant is a permanent resident or Australian citizen.

Providing care to children and young people who are unable to live with their families is a unique role. During the assessment sessions, we will have discussions with you and other family members, including your biological children and members of your support network. We will consider your ability to draw from your own personal experience to fostering as well as your ability to provide good quality day-to-day care for children. Your assessor will explore your ability to work with others, including staff from our agency, the child’s social worker and allied health professionals. We will also complete a home safety check and child-related screening checks for you and other adults in your support network.

At each stage in the process, you will be given feedback which may include identifying anything that could impact on your ability to provide foster care.

On average it takes between five and seven assessment visits with your allocated assessor to become an approved foster carer. Each visit can last sixty to ninety minutes. However, everyone’s circumstances are different. This process is a collaboration between you and your Centacare assessor, who will organise visits, schedule your training and assessments at a pace that suits you. Your assessor will then write a report and submit the recommendations to the Department of Child Protection for their approval.

The reasons for a child needing foster care can be varied and every child’s experience is unique. Ensuring the right fit for the carer household and the child is crucial and Centacare strives to create a positive experience for both parties, through a thorough matching process and consultation. Centacare staff will always discuss potential placements in detail with carers to ensure the placement is appropriate to the carer's and child's needs.

Foster carers have a highly skilled and experienced carer support practitioner who will be there to discuss experiences, celebrate wins and navigate any challenges. We will visit you in your home and will support you in meetings with other service providers that may be involved with the child you are caring for. We offer an on-call service for after hours, weekends and public holidays, so we are always just a phone call away.

Training and development are an ongoing commitment, which begins during the assessment process and continues for approved carers. Centacare is a child-safe and culturally aware agency and therefore have mandatory training for applicants including Child Sex Offender Awareness and Aboriginal Cultural Awareness training.

Our approved foster carers have access to comprehensive training to meet the ever-evolving needs of children. Our training packages provide practical strategies, guidance and support to carers on child development, understanding trauma and responding to complex behaviours in a safe and supported manner. SpACE (Safety, Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy based on Dan Hughes PACE model), Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Families (TCI-F), Circle of Security are some of the training courses offered to foster carers so that they are well-equipped to provide the best possible care to children who need it.

Foster carers receive a tax-free allowance, school card, and health care card for the child in order to assist in the day-to-day costs of caring for a foster child. Reunification and Specialist carers receive an enhanced allowance to cover additional costs required whilst the child is in their care. The payment is not classed as income and does not need to be listed in tax returns, on applications for Commonwealth benefits or when applying for a loan.

In addition to this allowance, additional benefits such as Family Tax Benefit or Parenting Payment from Centrelink may be available depending on your circumstances. Please contact us for further information.

If you are planning on starting a family of your own, this may not be the right time to start your foster care journey. If you have recently completed an assisted fertility program, we would ask that you wait twelve months to considering to foster care.