Terminology

Foster Carer
Some children and young people cannot stay at home because their families are unable to look after them or the young person may be at risk of harm.

Fostering is a way of providing a family based enviroment for a child or young person who cannot live with their own parents for a period of time.

Foster Carers provide temporary care of child/ren and/or young people while parents are getting support and sorting out problems, take a break, to support or help children and/or young people through a difficult time in their lives.

Usually children will return home and be reunified with their parents once the problems that have led to them coming into foster care have been resolved and their parents are able to care for them safely.

The only way to become an approved Foster carer is to apply through Shared Care Queensland, or other Foster Carer Agencies and/or to the Department of Communities, Child Safety.

Kinship Carer
Kinship care is provided by a person who is a relative, considered to be family or a close friend, or is a member of the child or young person's community.

Kinship carers can assist children and young people to maintain connections with their family.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, a kinship carer may be another Indigenous person who is a member of their community, a compatible community or from the same language group.

Emergency placement
Emergency carers are carers who are available to provide short-term care at short notice for children who need a place to stay on an urgent basis.

Emergency care may be required when a child first comes into care or if they need a home while they transition to longer-term placement.

Often, emergency carers are experienced carers who have developed skills in helping children who have experienced abuse and trauma.

Some carers may consider becoming emergency carers once they have some experience of foster care.

Example: Tyrone (eight years) and Sarah (six years) needed a safe place to stay at very short notice so they were placed with emergency carers Matt and Lisa for three days while the Department arranged a longer-term placement.

Short Term placement
Short-term carers are full-time foster and kinship carers who provide ongoing, day-to-day care for children for up to two years, where the Department is working towards reunifying the child with their family.

Being a short-term carer means actively working with the child, Shared Care Queensland the Department and any other relevant stakeholder to progress the child’s case plan so that the child can be safely returned to their parents and includes the maintenance of regular contact between the child and their family.

Longer Term placement
Long-term care gives children up to 18 years of age, a safe and stable home because they cannot return to live with their family.

Long-term carers commit to the ongoing full-time care of a child.

Respite care
Just as families need support or time-out on a regular basis or to deal with a serious personal matter, there are times when foster and kinship carers need a break.

Respite care can happen through regular, planned visits or can be arranged to enable foster carers or kinship carers to deal with personal matters or recover from illness.

Respite care may be for a few hours, a weekend or even a few weeks.

Thank you you for taking time to inform yourself regarding becoming approved Foster and/or Kinship Carer. 

If you would like to find out more about becoming an approved Foster and/or Kinship Carer with Foundations Child and Family Support Ltd, Shared Care Queensland please contact our friendly and helpful team on 3800 3090.  We look forward to hearing from you.