Foster Care
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Become a Foster Carer
Are you looking to make a life-changing impact in a child’s life and become a foster care hero? At Challenge Community Services, we support you every step of the way, providing you with information, answering your questions and making the application process straightforward and transparent.
Ready to take the next step? Fill in an enquiry form and we will be in touch to walk you through the process of becoming a carer. Prefer face-to-face? You can meet one of our team at your home or a public space and they can answer any questions you might have, and explain what’s involved with becoming and being a carer with Challenge.
Steps to becoming a foster parent with Challenge
Contact our team
Reach out to us and our friendly team will answer any initial questions and provide an overview of the fostering process.
Lodge Application
Complete and submit an application form. This helps us understand your background, motivations, and suitability for fostering.
Home Visit
A member of our foster care team will visit your home to ensure it provides a safe, stable environment for a child. This is also a chance for us to get to know you better and answer any further questions.
Training
Participation in our comprehensive training program prepares you for the challenges and rewards of fostering a child.
Approval
Once all checks and training are completed, our panel will review your application. Upon approval, you’ll be matched with a child who needs a loving home.
Ongoing Support
We are with you throughout your caring journey. You will receive ongoing support and training from our team to ensure you, the child and your household are healthy, happy and thriving.
Why become a foster carer?
With the guidance and support of a loving foster parent, young people’s lives can see a dramatically improved outcome. As a foster carer, you can make an immense difference to the life of a child at a time when they need it the most.
It requires patience, flexibility and passion – but the rewards for yourself and the child are beyond measure.
Our primary focus is on building meaningful relationships with people. We believe that it is essential to foster a sense of belonging and identity, community connection, and active participation in decision-making for children and young people in foster care.
We extend these same values to our work with carers, providing them with the support they need to succeed. We understand that the role of a foster carer is unique and
deserving of special recognition.
Who can become a foster carer?
We welcome individuals and families from diverse backgrounds to consider foster care. Here’s what you need to know:
Family Types
Single people, couples (de facto, married, and same-sex), with or without children, are all welcome.
Living Arrangements
Whether you rent or own, live in an apartment or a house, you can foster as long as you provide a secure, stable home.
Health and Wellbeing
You need to be healthy and able to handle the challenges of fostering. Everyone in your household must be on board with welcoming a child.
Financial Stability
While you don’t need to be wealthy, you should have a reliable income to meet your family’s needs and those of a foster child.
Diversity and Inclusion
Your ethnicity, faith, sexual orientation, or gender identity does not affect your eligibility. We value and support carers from all backgrounds.
Are you ready to become a foster carer?
The following questions can help you decide whether you are ready to take on the sometimes challenging but always rewarding role and become a foster carer.
- Am I willing to continue learning and developing new skills to help me care for a vulnerable child or young person?
- Do I have a reliable source of income to meet my existing family’s needs as well as the needs of another child or young person?
- Am I able to focus on the educational and health needs of all the children in my care?
- Do I have a spare bedroom in my house?
- Am I in a position to encourage other interests such as sport, music or dance?
- Am I able to commit to working with Challenge Community Services and other agencies to ensure the best outcomes for the child or young person?
Your journey to become a foster carer starts here
Fill out the form and one of our team members will be in touch with you to discuss how fostering a child might fit your circumstances. Whether you have questions, want more information or are looking to start the foster care application process, we’re here to help. You can also reach us via a free call on 1800 084 954
These children are unable to stay with their families and have no loving foster home to give them sanctuary due to a desperate shortage of foster carers.
We offer a range of resources, financial assistance and ongoing support to all our foster carers. Find out how we can help you.
Because every child and every carer is unique, we offer a range of out-of-home foster care options.
Hear from some of our valued foster carers about what it’s like to step in and provide a home for a young person.
Foster Care FAQ
These children are unable to stay with their families and have no loving foster home to give them sanctuary due to a desperate shortage of foster carers.
We offer a range of resources, financial assistance and ongoing support to all our foster carers. Find out how we can help you.
Because every child and every carer is unique, we offer a range of out-of-home foster care options.
Hear from some of our valued foster carers about what it’s like to step in and provide a home for a young person.
