Foster carers provide a safe, nurturing home for children and young people who cannot live with their birth families. This may be due to illness, family challenges, or other circumstances that make it unsafe for a child to remain at home. Foster care can be short-term, long-term, or emergency, depending on a child’s needs. Our foster families create stable, loving environments that give children the support they need during a time of transition.
Foster carers provide stability, love, and care for children when they need it most. You help meet their physical, emotional, and cultural needs, shaping their everyday life and supporting them to feel safe, cared for, and connected.
We welcome carers from all backgrounds including single, married, with or without children of your own. To become a foster carer, you need to:
Great foster carers are compassionate, patient, and supportive, helping children connect with their families, community, and culture.
From the start, we provide training to prepare you for your role as a foster carer and ensure you feel confident and supported. Our dedicated team is available 24/7 for guidance and assistance. You’ll also become part of a connected community of carers working together to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people.
You won’t be alone. Our team provides:
Foster carers receive a foster carer allowance, ongoing support, and training to help children grow, feel supported, and reach their potential.
We are a non-government Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO) and are fully accredited under the Children’s Guardian NSW Standards and the Australian Quality Improvement Council’s Health and Community Services Standards.
We support Aboriginal foster care placements for children and young people aged 0–18 years, with offices in Nowra, Batemans Bay, Goulburn, and Wollongong. Our team works closely with carers, children, and families to provide culturally safe, stable, and nurturing homes.
There are different types of foster care, depending on a child’s needs. You can choose the type that best fits your situation:
SCMSAC provides children in care with placements that reflect the richness and diversity of the communities in which we live and work. This means that our carers come from different types of families and a wide range of cultures, religions, and age groups.
Yes. We will visit you at your home, talk with you about your motivation to be a carer, and talk about the complete assessment process. We will ask you to complete some forms including an application form, working with children check, and application for community services check.
At SCMSAC, most carers meet with their caseworker at least once a month. To help us decide how frequently we will meet with you, we will talk with you about your needs and the needs of children placed with you. We will also talk about SCMSAC’s responsibilities as a designated agency. We will then agree on how often we will meet, and how you will keep us informed about how things are going.
Yes, at SCMSAC, carers are an important member of the ‘care team’. This is the group of people that has a responsibility for planning and coordinating all of the things that parents ordinarily do for their children. The care team includes you, your SCMSAC caseworker and several other key people in a child’s life. As a member of the care team, you will always be included in decision making processes. We might not always agree, but we do listen to you and respect your views. Together, we will make a decision that is in the best interests of the child that you care for.
At SCMSAC, we work in partnership with carers to ensure that you receive the most relevant information, resources and support. You will receive:
SCMSAC is committed to being a ‘learning organisation’. We believe in growth and change, and open communication; so we will talk with you about the pre-authorisation training and ongoing training needs. We will discuss your needs and your goals; and agree on an approach that will support you in providing the best possible care. We will also support you to continue accessing training through the carer support organisation of your choice.
At SCMSAC, carers are provided with a fortnightly tax-free financial reimbursement to cover the day-to-day expenses associated with caring for a child. The carer payment is based on a child’s needs and age and is determined by the government. In certain circumstances, SCMSAC will make a financial contribution towards expenses that are linked to your child’s case plan but not adequately covered by the carer payment. We will talk with you about your particular situation and come to an agreement about how to proceed.
Yes, sometimes there are limits. We will talk with you about your particular situation and come to an agreement about what is in the best interests of the children you care for and your circumstances.
This is our preference but we understand that children may sometimes have to share a room (particularly sibling groups). We will discuss with you and come to an agreement about what is in the best interests of the children.
