Most families go through crisis or trauma at some time.
If a family does not have support systems to help them through difficult times, foster care may be an option.
Foster care offers an alternative place for a child to stay when they cannot live at home. It allows time for the child and their family to work through their issues.
Some reasons that children may need to stay in foster care include:
• Conflict in the home
• A parent needing respite while sick or injured or in hospital
• Risk of sexual, physical or emotional abuse and neglect
The length of time a child stays in foster care can vary from one night to four weeks and sometimes months or years.
Children entering foster care come from a variety of situations and backgrounds.
Leaving their home and going into foster care can be very difficult for a child to deal with and they may display a range of emotions and behaviours.
Click for more information on:
When Your Child is Referred: information for parents
Spectrum: fee-for-service for high needs children
My Place: for young people leaving care
Becoming a Foster Carer
Reunification: helping children who are in care to stay in touch with their families.
Research and evaluation
Useful links
If there is an emergency or crisis (such as illness, hospitalisation) and no other family or friends can help, you may ask for your children to go into foster care.
You can register or make a referral for this service by calling us on (08) 9245 2441.
Useful links
Department for Child Protection (Fostering Services)
General Foster Care
Phone: 1800 024 453
Email:
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The Department provides care for children from birth to 18 years, for emergency, respite, short, medium and long term care. Fostering Services recruits assesses trains and supports foster carers across the State.
Respite Program
Phone: 1800 024 453
Email:
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Respite Carers look after children for short periods of time to give their full time Carers a break. They look after children in their own home for a few hours, a weekend or a few weeks. They undertake the same training, assessment and approval process as general foster carers.
Specialised Care
Phone: 1300 133 705
Email:
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Specialised Fostering mainly provides long-term care for children aged 6 to 17 years. The service assesses and trains suitable foster carers to care for children with complex needs and challenging behaviours. Specialised foster carers get extra training and support, including a higher subsidy.
Pre-Adoptive Foster Care
Phone: (08) 9222 2555
Email:
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Mainly for newborn babies while the birth parents are considering long-term care options. The period of care ranges from a few days to several months. You need to have had experience caring for a newborn baby, and the main caregiver cannot be in paid employment.
Anglicare
Phone: (08) 9263 2008
Email:
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Web: www.teenshare.org.au
Emergency short term care for young people aged 12 to 17.
Futures
Phone: 1300 663 298 (freecall)
Email:
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Web: www.unitingcarewest.org.au
Long-term placements to children with disabilities aged 0 to 12 years. A service of UnitingCare West.
Key Assets (state-wide)
Phone: (08) 9431 9300
Email:
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Web: www.keyassetswa.com.au
Wide range of services for children aged 0 to 18, including specialised care.
Life Without Barriers (state-wide)
Phone: (08) 6226 9900
Email:
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Web: www.lwb.org.au
Wide range of services for children aged 0 to 18, including placements for children with disabilities and in crisis.
Mercy Family & Community Services
Phone: (08) 9208 4444
Email:
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Web: www.mercycare.com.au
Medium to long-term care for children aged 0 to 17.
Parkerville Children & Youth Care
Phone: (08) 9295 4400
Email:
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Web: www.parkerville.org.au
Medium to long-term care for children aged 0 to 18.
Yorganop Childcare Aboriginal Corporation
Phone: (08) 9321 9090
Email:
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Web: www.yorganop.org.au
An Aboriginal agency for children aged 0 to 15.
Foster Care Association of WA
Phone: (08) 9388 1911 or 1800 64 1911 (freecall)
Email:
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Web: www.fcawa.com.au
Represents and supports foster carers.
Advocate for Children in Care
Judy Garsed
Phone: (08) 9222 2518, 1800 460 696 (freecall), 0429 086 508
Email:
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The Department for Child Protection wants to protect and promote the interests of children and young people in care, and the Advocate for Children in Care has been created especially to focus on them, their views and their concerns.
Create Foundation WA
Phone: (08) 9470 6155 or 1800 655 105
Web:
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Create WA connects and empowers children and young people in care and improves the care system through policy advice, programs and activities.