Fostering an interest in care

WITH Foster Care Week having taken place last week, the region’s leading child and family services organisation Cafs are looking to highlight what foster carers do for children in care.

Cafs CEO Wendy Sturgess said the role is an essential one within the community.

“As an entirely local organisation our focus is on caring for local people, particularly local children, and our fabulous foster carers are a vital piece of the puzzle” she said.

“Our message for Foster Care Week is that anyone can become a carer.

“The children we care for come from diverse backgrounds and we actively encourage applications from carers across the depth and breadth of our community.”

According to the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, 9000 children and young people in Victoria cycle through out-of-home care, while about 1500 have been placed in foster care.

Potential carers through Cafs can undergo training through the organisation’s trauma-informed framework Trust Based Relational Intervention and are also supported through site visits, phone check-ins, family days, and carer support groups.

Ms Sturgess encouraged everyone to consider becoming a foster carer with Cafs.

“Potential carers don’t have to dive immediately into a long-term placement,” she said.

“We encourage people to start with emergency care or weekend respite and consider moving to longer term care placements as they gain more experience and confidence.

“The team at Cafs will help find the best fit for both you and the child.”

Ms Sturgess’ sentiment was echoed last week by Deb Tsorbaris, CEO of the state’s leading child and family services body The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare.

“Becoming a foster carer is not just about meeting a need; it’s about creating a life-changing experience for both the child and the carer,” she said.

“Foster carers play a vital role in providing love, support, and guidance to children who may have faced significant challenges. But it’s important to understand that making a difference doesn’t require being a superhero.

“The impact can be profound through simple, everyday actions, like teaching a child to tie their shoelaces or taking them to the zoo for the first time.”