Becoming a foster carer

When you become a foster carer, you’ll give a safe and caring home to a child who cannot live with their own family. Check if you can be a foster carer, the types of care you can give and how to apply.

Who can foster

To become a foster carer, you must be at least:

• 21 for short-term care
• 25 for permanent care.

Your house must:

• be safe
• have a bedroom for the child or young person.

You'll be assessed to make sure you can care for a child. This includes:

• an interview to check if you’re ready to foster
• a police check
• a child protection history check
• a working with vulnerable people registration check
• a medical check.

You'll also need to attend training.

Types of foster care

There are many types of foster care. You can choose what type of care you are able to give.

How long a child stays with you depends on:

• their situation
• their birth parents’ ability to care for them
• court orders.

It can be for a short time or until they turn 18.

Emergency or crisis care

You care for a child when they need care immediately. This is usually for a few weeks until plans are made for other care. You’ll usually get less than 24-hours of notice.

Short-term care

You care for a child while their birth family is getting the help they need for their child to return home.

Respite care

You care for a child for a short time while their usual carers take a break. This might be regular and planned, or if their usual carer has an emergency.

Concurrent care

You care for a child while the court decides if they should return to their birth parents or if kinship care is possible.

You may become the child’s long-term carer if they cannot go back to their birth family.

Long-term care

You care for a child when they:

• cannot go back to their birth family
• the ACT Children’s Court has made a Care and Protection Order until they turn 18.

Permanent care

You care for a child until they turn 18. You’ll get full parental responsibility, usually through Enduring Parental Responsibility or adoption.

Applying

You apply to become a foster carer through ACT Together. They look after children in foster care and foster carers in the ACT.

1. Start by calling them on 1300 9336 7837 to register.
2. You’ll be invited to an information session and get an application form.
3. ACT Together will assess your application and make all the necessary checks.
4. You’ll attend training and assessment sessions.
5. ACT Together will decide if you’re suitable to foster a child and a foster care panel will approve you.
6. You’ll sign carer documents.
7. You’ll be matched with a child or young person. You can decide to accept the match or not.

Find out more about becoming a foster carer at ACT Together.

Support to look after the child in your care

You’ll get support to look after the child in your care. This support includes money, wellbeing check-ups, training and other government and community support services.

Learn about support you can get when you become a foster carer.