Frequently asked questions

You can get in touch with our Carer Support Team on 1300 782 975 or by email. Our team can answer your questions, provide information about foster care, and talk with you about your situation and options.

If you decide to take the next step, we can help you understand how to connect with accredited foster care agencies in your area. A representative from the agency you choose will then be able to contact you to explain their application and assessment process.

One of the most important qualities for foster carers is the ability to share your life with children. Carers need time, space in their homes and the capacity to support children who may have had difficult starts to life.

Becoming a foster carer involves an assessment process with an accredited foster care agency. This process is designed to ensure carers can provide a safe, stable and supportive environment for children. It includes providing references, medical and police checks, and participating in interviews.

Homes also need to meet certain safety standards. Carers are supported through this process and are given the opportunity to make any changes needed to ensure their home is safe for children.

Carers are everyday people from all walks of life, including single people and same-sex couples. This might include a single person who has time on weekends to offer part-time care, empty-nesters who are available for emergency care, or a couple who are able to welcome siblings into their home for longer-term care.

You do not need to have children of your own. While experience with children can be helpful, it is not essential.

The time it takes to become a foster carer can vary depending on your circumstances. In most cases, the process takes several months.

This allows time for the required checks, interviews and training to be completed, and helps ensure carers are well prepared for the role. Accredited foster care agencies manage the assessment and approval process, while Carers for Kids NSW can help you understand what to expect.

No. When you apply to become a foster carer, you’ll be asked to think about the type of care that suits your circumstances, including how long you are able to care for a child.

Emergency and short-term carers provide care for shorter periods. This can range from a few days or weeks for emergency care, to several months or up to one or two years for short-term care.

Part-time or respite carers offer care on an occasional basis — for example, a night during the week or a weekend once a month — to support a child’s regular carers.

For children who cannot return to live with their birth family, longer-term arrangements are made to provide stability. This may involve long-term foster care, guardianship or adoption, depending on the child’s situation and needs.

All foster carers have a case manager through their foster care agency who provides advice and practical support. Where children or carers need additional assistance, case managers can help connect carers with specialist services such as psychologists, paediatricians and speech pathologists.

Training on topics such as therapeutic parenting, understanding trauma, and managing challenging situations is provided by foster care agencies, with additional training opportunities and resources available through Carers for Kids NSW. Our training and resources are also available to guardians and parents who have adopted a child from out-of-home care.

Carers for Kids NSW offers phone and email support to foster carers, guardians and adoptive parents across NSW. We also encourage carers to connect with local Carer Support Groups, which provide valuable peer support, shared knowledge and practical insights.

Yes. Once you are approved as a foster carer, your foster care agency will work with you to understand the type of care you are able to offer, including the ages of children, the number of children and the length of care you feel comfortable providing.

When a child needs care that may be a good fit, the agency will share relevant information with you to help you decide. This might include things like the child’s age, school, routines or support needs – for example, whether a child wants to stay connected to a local sports team or needs to attend regular appointments.

You always have the opportunity to ask questions and to decide whether you are able to say yes or not. Agencies aim to make decisions collaboratively, with the wellbeing of both the child and the carer in mind.

In many situations, yes — however, this can vary depending on the age and needs of the child.

For example, a baby may not need a separate bedroom. Foster care agencies will discuss bedroom arrangements with you as part of the assessment process and help ensure your home setup meets safety and wellbeing requirements.

Children in foster care already have families, and it’s important for carers to understand and respect those relationships. While children may be unable to live with their birth family for a period of time, this is sometimes temporary.

Carers are expected to support children to maintain appropriate relationships with their birth family, where it is safe and in line with care plans or court orders. This includes approaching birth family relationships with respect and helping children stay connected through regular contact when required.

Caring is often about being part of a wider support network for a child – an extended community that helps them feel safe, connected and supported. Expectations around contact and relationships can vary depending on the child’s situation and the type of care being provided.

Children in foster care need care, warmth and respectful affection, just like any child.

What feels appropriate can vary from child to child. Foster care agencies will talk with you about a child’s needs and boundaries, including what types of physical affection are suitable and safe for them.

It’s also important to listen to and respect a child’s wishes. Some children may not feel comfortable with physical touch, particularly at first, and for others it may not be appropriate at all. Carers are supported to respond in ways that help children feel safe, respected and in control of their own boundaries.

If a child is expected to return to live with their birth family, this is usually discussed with you early on, often when the child first comes into your care. Reunification is carefully planned and supported, with the child’s wellbeing at the centre of decisions.

Each child or young person has a case plan developed by child protection authorities and their foster care agency. This plan sets out goals for permanency, usually within a defined timeframe, and outlines how families will be supported to make changes so children can return home safely where possible.

Case plans may focus on keeping children safely at home, supporting restoration to birth family, or, when that is not possible, finding a stable long-term option such as long-term foster care, guardianship or open adoption. Foster carers are supported through these transitions and play an important role in helping children feel secure and prepared for change.

In NSW, there is a strong focus on permanency for children and young people, recognising the importance of long-term stability and belonging.

For children who are unable to safely return to their birth family, open adoption may be considered as one possible permanency option. Adoption is not a quick or simple process, and it is carefully assessed to ensure it is in the child’s best interests.

Some people do become foster carers knowing they may be open to adoption if that becomes the long-term plan for a child in their care. However, foster caring is not guaranteed to lead to adoption, and each child’s pathway is determined through court decisions and case planning, based on their individual circumstances and needs.

The Carer Support Team exists to help carers provide children and young people with the stability, care and nurture they need to thrive.

Our focus is on supporting and retaining carers, ensuring they feel informed, connected and valued in their role, and on advocating for improvements across the care system.

We do this through three key areas: information and guidance, carer support and advocacy.

Information and guidance

You may have seen our campaigns or information sessions about becoming a carer. When people get in touch with us, we provide clear, unbiased information about foster care and the different pathways available, answer questions, and help them understand how to connect with accredited foster care agencies.

We also provide ongoing information and guidance to existing carers, guardians and adoptive parents, helping them navigate systems, understand processes and access available supports.

Support

Our Carer Support Team provides practical guidance and a listening ear for carers supporting children and young people with complex needs.

A key part of our role is making sure carers feel supported and have access to clear, useful information about their rights, responsibilities and available supports.

When situations become more complex or challenging, we can offer additional support, help carers understand their options, and guide them toward appropriate services or next steps.

If you need support or would like to talk with someone, you can call us on 1300 782 975 or email us.

Advocacy

We work alongside partners across the child and family sector, including the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ), foster care agencies and the Office of the Children’s Guardian.

Carers for Kids NSW collects de-identified information* about the issues and questions carers raise with us. This helps us identify common challenges and advocate with government and sector partners for changes that improve outcomes for carers and the children they care for.

Supporting carers well helps them stay in their role longer and strengthens the care system as a whole. By listening to carers and advocating on their behalf, we aim to create conditions where carers feel valued, supported and able to continue making a difference.

*Data is collected and used in accordance with our privacy policies.

The training calendar is available online. To register for training, you need to be logged in to the Carer Portal.

We endeavour to make training available to carers, guardians and adoptive parents across NSW, including in remote and regional areas.

If you cannot find a session near you on our training calendar, please contact us with details of what training you are interested in, the area you’re located in, and the best way to contact you.

Some training sessions offer childcare and others do not. Please contact us about the session you’re interested in to check whether childcare is available.

We’re always keen to hear from carers who are interested in sharing their experiences. Carer stories play an important role in helping the community better understand foster care and in encouraging others to consider caring for children and young people.

Sharing your journey can take many forms. This might include participating in a written story, being interviewed for our website or social media, appearing in a short video or speaking about your experience at an event or information session. Any involvement is always discussed with you first, and you are supported throughout the process.

If you’re interested in being involved, please contact our Marketing and Communications team for an informal conversation. They can talk with you about the different ways stories are shared, what participation might involve, and ensure you feel comfortable with how your story is told. Taking part is completely voluntary, and your privacy and boundaries will always be respected.

Yes. If you register for the Carer Portal as an authorised carer or as an agency or sector employee, you’ll automatically be subscribed to our email newsletter. Our newsletter includes updates about training, events, resources and other information relevant to carers and the sector.

Anyone can also subscribe to receive our communications. Simply visit the Contact us page on our website and sign up to our mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time if you no longer wish to receive updates.

You can also follow Carers for Kids NSW on our social media channels to stay up to date with news, stories, events and announcements.