At Allambi Care, we offer a variety of foster care arrangements across the Hunter, Central Coast, Northern NSW, Melbourne and the Gippsland region. Foster carers may care for children for a night, a weekend, or for longer periods of time. Some carers choose to provide just one type of care, while others offer a combination of care types.
Here's an overview of the different foster care options available through Allambi Care:
Respite Foster Care
Respite foster care involves providing care for short, regular stays, such as one weekend a month. This gives families a break and provides a positive experience for the child or young person during their time away from home.
Emergency Foster Care
Emergency carers provide care at short notice, including after hours and on weekends. The duration of an emergency placement can vary, depending on the circumstances and the child’s needs. Emergency foster care ensures that children have a safe and supportive environment in critical moments.
Restoration Foster Care
Foster carers in this model play a key role in helping children or young people reconnect with their families. The aim is to support the restoration process, where the child is returned to their family. Carers work closely with both the child and their family to encourage this reunification, providing ongoing care and stability during the process
Long-term Foster Care
Long-term foster care is for children who cannot live with their families for an extended period and may remain in care until they turn 18, or until their family circumstances change. Long-term carers provide consistent, nurturing care, allowing the child or young person to grow in a stable home environment.
Therapeutic Home-Based Care (THBC)
Therapeutic Home-Based Care (THBC) is a specialist form of foster care designed to support young people in out-of-home-care with high and complex needs who are between 12 and 17 years of age. Compared to ‘standard’ foster care, the children often have more complex needs, require more supports (such as clinical and behaviour support), and the expectations on the THBC carer is higher.
The allowance paid to THBC is substantially higher, which reflects the higher support needs of the young people, as well as the higher expectations required of the carer.
Fostering with a view to Guardianship
After establishing a relationship with a child, a foster carer may apply to become their legal guardian. The Children’s Court makes this arrangement if it is determined that the carer can meet the child’s needs without ongoing agency support. Guardianship allows the carer to take a more permanent role while supporting the child’s relationship with their biological family where possible.
Fostering with a view to Adoption
If a foster carer develops a lasting relationship with a child, they may choose to apply for adoption. This is a permanent arrangement, made by the Supreme Court, when it is in the child’s best interests. In Australia, open adoption practices are followed, which means the child must be supported to maintain a relationship with their biological family, as long as it is safe to do so. Adoption of Aboriginal children and young people is generally not practiced within the Aboriginal community, although exceptions may occur in certain circumstances.
Relative or Kinship Care
Relative or kinship care occurs when a child or young person is placed with a carer they already know or are related to. In Aboriginal communities, this care may be provided by a relative or someone who shares a cultural or community connection, ensuring the child’s cultural heritage is respected and maintained.
Allambi Care is committed to offering foster care options that suit the needs of both children and carer. If you are considering becoming a foster carer, we are here to guide you through the process and help you find the type of care that suits your circumstances.
Find out more here: https://www.allambicare.org.au/services/foster-care
