1. Foster care with MacKillop

2. What is foster care? –Foster care is the care of a child or young person who is not able to live with their own family. –They may have experienced serious neglect, abuse or ongoing mistreatment at home. –They may have been impacted by their parents’ drug and alcohol misuse, relationship problems, domestic violence or mental health issues. –Foster carers have a child live with them in their home for as long as needed. This can be for a few days, weeks, months or even years.

3. Who needs foster care? –Children and young people who need foster care range from newborn to 18 years. –They may come into care as an individual or with their siblings. –The can come from different cultural backgrounds, and have different strengths, experiences, needs and personalities.

4. Who is MacKillop Family Services? –MacKillop exists to support, to foster hope and to promote justice for children, young people and their families, particularly those who experience distress, disadvantage and abuse. –MacKillop is a leading provider of services for children, young people and families in Victoria and New South Wales and is now establishing a presence in Western Australia. –Our programs include Home Based and Residential Care, Refugee Services, Disability Services, Youth Support, Education and Training, Family Support and support of women and men who as children were in the care of our founding agencies.

5. Why become a MacKillop foster carer? –Being a foster carer is one of the most important roles you can play in our community. –There is a critical shortage of foster homes across Australia. –Even the shortest period of time in your care can have a lifelong impact on a child: A child may come into your care having never had a book read with them, never had a safe garden to play in or never had their hand held by an adult as they walk down the street. –These are the small but life-changing experiences you can give a child in need which teach them that the world is a good and safe place.

6. Types of foster care –Medium-long term: These children and young people typically cannot return home for a longer period of time and may need your support for a period of years or until they reach adulthood. –Short-term: Carers generally provide care for a child for a period of up to six months. There is usually a plan in place for the child or young person to return to their birth parents. –Respite: Respite carers provide planned care for a child for a short period of time, typically one or two weekends a month. –Emergency: Carers provide care for children or young people when there are immediate risks to their safety.

7. MacKillop’s support for foster carers MacKillop staff are dedicated to ensuring you have the support and resources you need to make fostering a positive experience. –MacKillop provides foster carers with: Tailored and ongoing support from a designated case worker Access to a team of specialist professionals Comprehensive support from an after-hours on-call service Regular participation in the planning of the child’s care Access to innovative and ongoing training Access to respite care when you need a break Links to peer support networks of MacKillop foster carers in your area A weekly financial reimbursement to cover the expenses of caring for a child –MacKillop is becoming a registered Sanctuary organisation and is the only foster care agency in Australia to provide Sanctuary’s unique ‘trauma informed’ service for extra support.

8. Does this sound like you? –MacKillop foster carers: are culturally, religiously and ethnically diverse come from all types of backgrounds and families can be individuals, couples or part of a family What matters most is that you can provide a stable, loving and nurturing home environment for a child or young person in need.

9. Foster care requirements: –You must be over 18 years of age –Have satisfactory clearances, including Police and Working With Children Checks* –Have space in your home for a child (ie. a spare room) –Complete training and accreditation* * MacKillop will assist with these processes

10. How to become a foster carer Being a foster carer is a really important role, therefore the journey to accreditation and receiving a child into your care may take from four to six months. Step 1: Make an enquiry at mackillop.org.au/fostercare or call 1300 791 677 Step 2: A chat over the phone Step 3: Information exchange Step 4: Attend training Step 5: Participate in interviews Step 6: Become a foster carer