Future of Foster Care
Caring for Australia's children is everyone's responsibility
While the number of children and young people entering out-of-home care across Australia has remained steady in recent years, there has been a steep decline in the number of new and active foster carers.
The result is an increasing reliance on non-family-based (residential) care or group homes, which not only incur significant financial costs for governments but, most importantly, can result in poorer outcomes for children and young people, and their families and communities.
Child protection is considered ‘state business’ but change is needed at the federal level to help preserve this vital part of the system – for both children in care and the foster carers who support them.
The National Foster Care Sustainability Group was established by Families Australia in 2024 to collectively advocate for the strategic federal levers necessary to unlock substantial gains for the state and territory foster care systems.
PeakCare is a founding member and the group’s mission is to provide more equitable support for carers and children in care through small but impactful changes to health, finance and workplace policies.
