Supporting Carers Of Other People's Children - Australian Foster ...

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There are several real-life personal accounts in this publication. The names of the people involved have been changedto preserve their anonymity. The stories have been included to inspire and encourage people involved in foster, relative,or kinship care of children and young people. Thank you to those who have been willing to share their stories and lifeexperiences with us.Any unidentified photographs accompanying the personal stories are for illustration only and are not of the people in thestories. Photographs of Indigenous people have been used with permission.First published September 2006 by theAustralian Foster Care Association Inc. (ACT)Email: afca@bigpond.comNational Library of AustraliaCataloguing-in-Publication informationAustralian Foster Care Association Inc.Supporting carers of other people’s children: A handbookon support for foster, relative and kinship carers and thechildren and young people in their care.Includes index.ISBN 0 9775997 0 1.1. Child welfare - Government policy - Australia. 2.Foster home care - Australia - Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3.Children and adults - Australia. I. Australian Foster CareAssociation.362.7330994© Commonwealth of Australia 2006This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproducedby any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth. Requests and inquiries concerningreproduction and rights should be addressed to the Commonwealth Copyright Administration, Attorney-General’sDepartment, Robert Garran Offices, National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600 or posted at www.ag.gov.au/cca.DISCLAIMER: The Commonwealth and the Australian Foster Care Association Inc. accepts no responsibility forthe accuracy or completeness of any material contained in this publication. Additionally, the Commonwealth andthe Australian Foster Care Association Inc. disclaims all liability to any person in respect of anything, and of theconsequences of anything, done or omitted to be done by any such person in reliance, whether wholly or partially,upon any information presented in this publication.CAUTION: Material in this publication is made available on the understanding that the Commonwealth and theAustralian Foster Care Association Inc. are not providing professional advice. Before relying on any of the material inthis publication, readers should obtain appropriate professional advice. Views and recommendations of third parties,which are also included in this publication, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Commonwealth or the AustralianFoster Care Association Inc., or indicate a commitment to a particular course of action.Care has been taken to ensure that the information provided in this publication is accurate. All information andmaterial was correct at the time of printing (September 2006).Supporting Carers Of Other People’s Children: A handbook on support for foster, relative and kinship carers and thechildren and young people in their care is an Early Childhood – Invest to Grow initiative, funded by the AustralianGovernment under the Stronger Families and Communities strategy.2
ContentsPreface 5Roles of the Australian Government and stateand territory governments 6Summary of Australian Government support 6Australian Government payments and allowances summary table 7Carer Payment 9Carer Allowance 9Welfare to Work – Information for foster carers onincome support payments 10Documents that Centrelink in each state and territory willlook for from foster carers for Welfare to Work exemptions 13The inside journey through foster care 16Child Support Scheme 17Child Care Benefit 17Grandparent Child Care Benefit 1730% Child Care Tax Rebate 18Double Orphan Pension 18Defining features of Australian foster carers: child-centredaltruism, commitment, persistence and empathy 19Family Tax Benefit 20Caring for Indigenous kids 23Maternity Payment 24Maternity Immunisation Allowance 24Multiple Birth Allowance 24Organising foster children’s passports 27Accessing Legal Aid 29Not eligible for Legal Aid for a child care andprotection matter? 29Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme 32Large Family Supplement 32Foster children and Medicare cards 33Concession cards coverage for children and youngpeople in foster care 34Parenting Payment 35Newstart Allowance 35Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in care 36ABSTUDY 39Foster care associations 40Transition to Independent Living Allowance 42Youth Allowance 44Contents continued on next page...3
Page 1: Australian Foster CareAssociation I
Page 5 and 6: Message from the MinisterChildren a
Page 7 and 8: Australian Government payments anda
Page 9 and 10: Carer AllowanceCarer PaymentCarer P
Page 11 and 12: Initial exemptions are for up to 12
Page 13 and 14: Documents that Centrelink in each s
Page 15 and 16: Laurel,LaurelJennie’s MumNone of
Page 17 and 18: Child SupportSchemeThe Australian G
Page 19 and 20: Defining featuresof Australian fost
Page 21 and 22: • the relevant court orders, if a
Page 23 and 24: Caring forIndigenous kidsMore foste
Page 25 and 26: Elizabethzabeth, veteran carer of b
Page 27 and 28: Organising foster children’s pass
Page 29 and 30: Accessing Legal AidPeople seeking l
Page 31 and 32: ClaireClaire, former child in careI
Page 33 and 34: Foster children and Medicare cardsT
Page 35 and 36: threshold of $500 in a calendar yea
Page 37 and 38: The importance of maintaining links
Page 39 and 40: ABSTUDYABSTUDY is available to Abor
Page 41 and 42: MatthewMatthew, young person in car
Page 43 and 44: Transition to Independent Living Al
Page 45 and 46: Rapp Care Song - Kerry KempWhat doe
Page 47 and 48: • Galilee Family Placement Scheme
Page 49 and 50: Ongoing support for foster carersSp
Page 51 and 52: RecruitmentFACS always welcomes cal
Page 53 and 54:
Following their initial approval as
Page 55 and 56:
throughout the year. Training usual
Page 57 and 58:
Tasmania support informationThe Dep
Page 59 and 60:
Victoria support informationThe Dep
Page 61 and 62:
egional approval panel approves car
Page 63 and 64:
progressing a qualification for fos
Page 65 and 66:
IndexAAboriginal and Torres Strait
Page 67 and 68:
FeedbackThis publication is the fir
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