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

SOUTH AUSTRALIASouth Australia support informationThe Department for Families and Communities,through its statutory agency Families SA, isresponsible for providing alternative care servicesin South Australia.The alternative care sector also comprisesnon-government services who are contractedby government to provide a range of alternativecare placement options, including Indigenous andnon-Indigenous home based foster care, specialneeds care, stabilisation and transitional care, andadolescent care. Government and non-governmentsectors work together to provide placements foraround 1,400 children and young people aged from0 to 18 years who are unable to remain in the careof their legal guardians (in most cases, their birthparents).Relative and kinship carers form a significantcomponent of alternative care services in SouthAustralia. This is in recognition of the importancefor children to remain with their family or kinshipgroups in order to maintain relationships andcultural connections. Families SA identifies, trainsand supports relative and kinship carers who areable to care for specific children within their familyor kinship group. Approximately 26 per cent of allchildren who cannot reside with their birth parentsor legal guardians are found placements withrelatives or their kinship group.Where placements with extended family or kinshipgroups are not an option, family based foster careis an important component of the alternative caresystem. There are approximately 900 foster carers(at June 2006) in South Australia and this is shortof current demand. Foster carers are recruited,trained and supported through non-governmentagencies contracted by government. Approval andregistration of foster carers is the responsibility ofFamilies SA through its Registration and LicensingUnit.The main placement types of care provided withinSouth Australia include:• respite care ― generally for a regular plannedperiod of time such as one weekend a month or aweek during the school holidays• emergency care ― generally these placementsare needed when a child or young person isat risk of immediate and serious harm andmust be removed from their parents to ensuretheir immediate safety, welfare and wellbeing.However, emergency placements may also berequired when a parent is unable to look aftertheir child in the short term, for example, as aresult of hospitalisation or imprisonment• short to medium term care ― when the goal isreunification with the biological parents• long term care ― when the placement is intendedto be permanent.TrainingThe recruitment, training, assessment andretention of foster carers in South Australia iscurrently under review.Anglicare, as the major provider of home basednon-Indigenous care in the Adelaide metropolitanarea, provides a Foster Carer Orientation Courseover a six to seven week period on four occasions54Government department supportFamilies SAGuardianship and Alternative Care DirectorateLevel 1, CitiCentre,11 Hindmarsh SquareAdelaide SA 5000(GPO Box 292, Adelaide SA 5001)Phone 08 8226 7000Fax 08 8226 6681Email enquiries@dfc.sa.gov.auWebsite www.familiesandcommunities.sa.gov.auCrisis Response UnitPhone 13 1611Families SA, case worker, supervisor, ormanager at the local district centre — see WhitePages for location contact detailsPhone 13 1611 (after hours)Reporting child abusePhone 13 1478Carer information and supportFoster Carer Relations — Department forFamilies and CommunitiesPhone 08 8207 0796Families SA case worker or manager at thelocal District Centre — see White PagesPhone 13 1611 (after hours)Phone 13 1478 to report child abuse or neglectYour Alternative Care Service ProviderFor your alternative care service providercontact your placement support worker orsupervisorOffice of the Children’s GuardianPhone 08 8226 8570Email gcyp@saugov.sa.gov.auWebsite www.gcyp.sa.gov.auParent Helpline (24 hour information and help)Phone 1300 364 100Website www.parenting.sa.gov.auGrandparents for Grandchildren SAPhone 08 8265 5605 or 08 8266 3618Grandparents Raising GrandchildrenPhone 08 8305 9200National Association for Prevention ofChild Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN) SA— protective parentingPhone 08 8232 6430Website www.napcan.org.au/SA/support.htmChildren and young people supportCREATE Foundation — SA BranchPhone 1800 655 1056Website www.create.org.auKids Help Line — 24 hoursPhone Freecall 1800 551 800 orWebsite www.kidshelp.com.auYouth Helpline (24 hour support/counselling)Phone 1300 131 719 or 08 8303 1691Website www.cyh.com