Foster Care Victoria

Advanced Foster Care

This blog is becoming “Life Matters Watch” but I would like to begin by commending their coverage of the foster care issue over the past weeks/months.

This morning Joe Tucci of the Australian Childhood Foundation (you may remember his name from the Mandatory Reporting of Abuse debate we discussed a few weeks a ago) and Kate Cairns were the guests talking about Therapeutic foster care or “advanced” foster care as it was called on the program.

I’ve had quite a bit to do with AChFover the past few months and have found their knowledge not only interesting but a valuable resource for foster carers. I also know many of the carers who have done the Circle training in particular run by AChf and who are involved with the Circle program and all the reports I have heard have been fantastic. Carers say that the access to professional advice and supports, as well as the neurological understanding of trauma as explained in the training all combined to help their ability to care for children. But one of the most important aspects of this particular program has been the elevation of the status of the carer to where carers are included in discussion and consulted about their knowledge of the child to work towards more complete care plans. This process has been referred to the professionalisation of foster care.

While these are all wonderful things, Sarah McDonald’s initial questions really went to the heart of the issue: Can we expect this of carers; that is, 24 hour, 7 day a week volunteers given only modest reimbursements? Its a huge job these amazing families are undertaking and we desperately need more to do the same. Victoria is leading the way with programs, hopefully Victoria can also lead Australia towards greater recognition of carers through funding and other crucial supports. Recognition and respect throughout our community of foster care as a valid and important role is key to getting more people involved, and in encouraging carers to continue.

As an aside for current carers in Melbourne’s East, AChF is running training again in June. Contact your caseworker or the Recruitment team in Bayswater if you would like more details.