Foster love. 
Foster care.

Become a foster carer and make a positive difference to a child’s life.

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Who can be a foster carer?  

You might be surprised by the different sorts of people who can become foster carers. If you’re kind and compassionate, single or a couple and 18 years or older, you can apply. Ngurambang and Uniting welcome people regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.

Of course, a commitment to respecting children and promoting their right to be heard is essential.

Uniting also provides culturally appropriate support for Aboriginal carers through its Aboriginal Development Support Unit

The types of things that we consider when assessing people as foster carers include health, accommodation and financial stability, caring experience and skills, and how fostering might affect your household.

If you are interested in becoming a foster carer, register your interest and we’ll provide you with everything you will need to know.

Terms and conditions  ◦  Privacy policy

© 2018 Uniting. All rights reserved

What types 
of foster care are there?

What sort of support will I receive? 

• Ongoing training and development
• An allocated caseworker and regular visits
• 24-hour phone support for emergencies
• Carer networking opportunities
• Financial support to meet the day-to-day needs 
  of your foster child

Click each of the types of care below to find out more.

• Culturally appropriate support
  
• Help with planning a child’s contact with their birth family
• Support to advocate for a child’s needs
• Specialised carer coaching
• External agency referrals
• Access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Financial assistance
Foster carers receive financial support to look after children. These allowances vary depending on the age and needs of the child. 

What are the steps to becoming a foster carer?  

The steps below show the standard application process, which can take anywhere from four to six months or longer, depending on your availability for assessment and training.

The assessment is quite detailed and you might wonder why the assessor is asking so many personal questions. We’ll always explain why we need the information we ask for, and how it relates to your role as a foster carer. We’ll give you transparent and ongoing feedback about how your assessment is progressing and discuss any concerns about your suitability as soon as they’re raised.

What training do foster carers need? 

You’ll need to attend Shared Lives training and complete SMART (Strategies for Managing Abuse Related Trauma) online modules, which are compulsory and form part of the assessment process. The training gives you information about being a foster carer for Uniting. 

Become a foster carer and make a positive difference to a child's life. 

Foster love. 
Foster care.

• Ongoing training and development
• An allocated caseworker and minimum monthly visits
• 24-hour phone support for emergencies
• Carer networking opportunities
• Financial support to meet the day-to-day needs of your foster child
• Help with planning a child’s contact with their birth family
• Support to advocate for a child’s needs
• Specialised carer coaching
• External agency referrals
• Access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

From newborns to young people aged up to 18, children of all ages need foster carers. Children in foster care might not be able to live with their parents and families for lots of reasons. 

The children you’ll support.

By submitting this, I agree to be contacted about Uniting services that may be of interest to me and I have read the privacy policy. I can unsubscribe at any time at ask@uniting.org

From newborns to young people aged up to 18, children of all ages need foster carers, however there is an urgent need for carers to support children and young people between the ages of 10–16. Children in foster care might not be able to live with their parents and families for lots of reasons. Sometimes a child’s parents are ill in hospital and don’t have family to look after them or there are serious issues like abuse, trauma or violence. Whatever their background all children need nurturing and support to guide them through their formative years.

If you’re on this page you might be thinking of becoming a foster carer. Please take a look at the information below, which gives you an idea of what to expect, and if you’d like to receive more information or speak to someone to find out more, simply get in touch with us via this form.