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The reportable conduct scheme commenced on 1 July 2017 and has been introduced to improve oversight of how organisations prevent and respond to allegations of child abuse. The scheme requires centralised reporting to the Commission for Children and Young People of allegations of child abuse made against workers or volunteers in relevant services with a high level of responsibility for children and young people, such as out of home care services.Read more...

WHAT IS CIMS?Read more...

Conference FeesRead more...

The Department of Human Services have released an information sheet for your Child Protection case workers to follow when obtaining a birth certificate for children in out-of-home care. If you require a birth certificate this is the process to follow.Read more...

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The Foster Care Association has been holding Facebook live webinars with topics relevant to carers. Please note the webinars will not work in Internet Explorer browser.Read more...

Australia has 9,900 foster carer households and 13,700 relative/kinship households caring for 43,400 children in out-of-home care. Given the higher number of children in care, compared to carers, it is not surprising that over half (52%) of all foster care households have multiple placements (2-4 foster children) compared to 39% of relative/kinship households. A range of financial and non-financial supports are required to support and sustain placements, prevent carer burnout and the breakdown of placements. An important component of financial support is carer remuneration (i.e. care allowance/subsidy). Ongoing difficulties in carer recruitment/retention, and the increasing costs of children, suggests it is appropriate to consider the current levels of carer allowances provided by the eight jurisdictions and discuss how levels compare to current Foster Care Estimates (FCEs). The FCEs, based on the costs of children not in care, are adjusted to reflect estimates of the day-to-day costs of caring for children in different age groups. The ongoing absence of a national framework setting levels of subsidies fails to ensure adequacy and equity for all carers. This paper looks at the state of play and how, in relation to remuneration, carers in the various States are faring in relation to the FCEs.Read more...

Victorian foster carers are reimbursed at among the worst rate in Australia, despite having the most children admitted to out of home care anywhere across the nation in the past year.Read more...

Australia’s largest ever foster and kinship care conference, with over 700 carers and delegates, will today call on the nation’s governments to give young people in state care the option to extend support from 18 to 21.Read more...

Mounting evidence suggests that children and young people living in out-of-home care (OoHC) are at increased risk of problematic eating behaviours (i.e., emotional eating, compulsive eating, overeating, and binge eating, stealing or hoarding food). A recent study found nearly a quarter (22.1%) of young people living in residential care in Victoria presented with clinically significant eating problems. Greater attention to young people’s eating behaviours by the people responsible for their care is, therefore, not only warranted but needed urgently. The aim of this study is to better understand the prevalence of problematic eating amongst young people living in OoHC. The findings of this study will be used to develop appropriate interventions specifically for the unique context of OoHC.Read more...

Former AFL footballer Digby Morrell joins students packing goodies for foster kidsRead more...

The Foster Care Association of Victoria would like to say a huge thank you to Crumbz Craft in Healesville who dedicated a Yarn-a-thon in May to fundraise for us. They today reached their goal of an incredible $5,000 which will be put to use supporting our wonderful foster carers.Read more...