Working together for carers

Carers for Kids NSW is a supplementary service funded by the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ). Our focus is on supporting, training and advocating for carers – including foster and kinship carers, guardians and adoptive parents – to help strengthen outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care.

We work alongside agencies and government partners to support carers and contribute to a more responsive and sustainable care system across NSW.

Support, train and advocate

Our dedicated Carer Support Team is available Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm, to answer questions and provide guidance to carers. This may include support with understanding systems and processes, navigating policies, accessing available supports or responding to issues related to caring for children and young people.

We offer free training tailored to carers’ needs, delivered both in person and online through the Carer Portal. Training certificates are provided, and carers are encouraged to share these with their foster care agency and caseworker.

We also advocate for carers by gathering insights, conducting research, and representing carers’ voices through initiatives such as the NSW Carer Survey. Our aim is to improve the experience of care through system-level change, benefiting both carers and the children and young people they support.

Our training calendar

We deliver specialised training designed to support carers across a range of care arrangements, including part-time, emergency, short- and long-term care, restoration, relative and kinship care, guardianship and adoption.

Our sessions are designed to support carers at every stage of their journey. You can explore upcoming training opportunities via the training calendar below.

Information sessions for people considering care

Throughout the year, Carers for Kids NSW promotes and supports Information Sessions delivered in partnership with DCJ. These sessions provide people interested in caring with general information about foster care and the pathways available in NSW.

Information Sessions help prospective carers understand what caring involves and how to connect directly with accredited foster care agencies for next steps.

How agencies can get involved

Agencies can support carers and prospective carers by:

• ensuring carers are aware of Carers for Kids NSW and the support available
• encouraging carers to register for and engage with the Carer Portal
• promoting participation in our free training, which addresses common challenges carers face and supports carer wellbeing
• engaging with the NSW Carer Survey and other advocacy initiatives to help improve the out-of-home care system
• You can share information about our online information sessions, where agencies are invited to meet potential carers in an informal setting, to find out more about becoming a carer.