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

TASMANIAShared Stories, Shared Lives training program butare encouraged to attend specific sessions or othertraining programs relevant to them. The policyposition in relation to kinship care placementsrecognises that kinship carers have similar butdifferent needs to foster carers especially inrelation to training and skills development.Foster carers are assessed via Step by Step acompetency based model for assessing potentialfoster carers. The format for assessing kinshipcarers has been adapted from Step by Step.Financial supportFoster carers and formal kinship carers arereimbursed for costs associated with caring fora child placed by the Department. The level ofreimbursement varies in accordance to the age ofthe child. The payment, known as the standardreimbursement, is paid into the carer’s bankaccount on a fortnightly basis. The standardreimbursement covers the day to day child relatedcosts including energy, food, clothing and footwear,household goods and services, health, education,transport, leisure and personal care.Foster and kinship carers also receive an additionalweekly payment (paid on a fortnightly basis) ifthe child is under a short term care order. Carersalso receive an additional payment to purchase aChristmas and birthday present for the child if thechild is in care at these times.Additional costs because the child has additionalneeds such as extra health needs are met throughFoster Carers Association of Tasmania Inc.OfficePhoneEmailWebsiteRoom 3, Ground Floor, McDougall BuildingEllerslie Road Battery Point Hobart 70010437 006 876 (including after hours assistance and support)ksa2@bigpond.comwww.dhhs.tas.gov.au/agency/partnerships/fostercarers.phpAfter hours assistance and supportAfter hours assistance and support can be obtained by phoning 0437 006 876.Services provided:additional payments to carers as well as paymentson behalf of the child. Additional payments mustbe approved through the child’s care plan.Other supportsFoster and kinship carers have a child protectionworker attached to out-of-home care teams ineach region. These workers provide trainingopportunities and activities for carers. Theyare also able to provide advocacy, support andresources such as written information on managingspecific behaviours. Children and young peopleplaced in out-of-home care have a child protectionworker worker who provides case managementsupport for the child and the carer. Casemanagement support includes referrals to specialistservices such as mental health services andsupport to the carer and the child in relation to thechild’s contact with family members. The FosterCarer Association of Tasmania Inc. is also availableto support carers.There are a range of services that may be involvedin supporting a child in foster care. Care planningfor the child is the mechanism for determining whatservices should be involved in supporting the child.The following contacts for Tasmania are generalcontacts for carers rather than a comprehensivelist of services that are available to assist childrenin care. Carers should discuss any concerns theyhave about a child in their care with the child’sworker.• regular newsletters;• meetings;• social activities;• an annual conference;• support during case planing;• support during family conference;• advocacy and support for carers through the Foster Care Advocacy and Support Team (FAST);• telephone support and referral service;• working with Create to gain the maximum input for children and young people in out-of-homecare;• member of the Australian Foster Care Association Inc., providing input on national issues thateffect Tasmanian foster carers.58