Can I foster?

Pathways to stability

Pathways to Stability is Key Assets program providing intensive support over 12 – 18 months. The aim is to transition children with complex emotional and behavioural needs, who have been in residential care arrangements, into a highly supported fostering environment to prepare them for permanence through either reunification to family, long-term fostering or preparation for independence.

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The problem we are trying to solve

Children and young people who have spent time in Residential Care have the poorest outcomes of all children in Out-of-Home Care, having the highest rates of involvement in the youth justice system, the lowest rates of school attendance and the poorest life-long outcomes for employment, mental and physical health in adulthood. It is also well known that young people who leave care without the benefit of strong links to a family often experience homelessness in their first year of independence.

By using a specialist approach to fostering, we can take children from a residential environment and place them in the care of a family who will devote the time and energy, with the support of a team of professionals wrapped around the placement, to give that child a route to positive and lasting outcomes. Our program intends to not only transition a child successfully from residential to a fostering family environment, but prepare for permanence through either reunification, long term fostering or preparation for independence in alignment with the Out-of-Home-Care Outcomes Framework.

What You Will Receive

  • 24/7 coaching and support
  • Weekly visits from a dedicated social worker, therapist and other relevant professionals tailored to the child’s needs.
  • Receive a Carer Development Plan created through the assessment or at the start of a placement
  • Receive comprehensive training and support from our professional staff including your own Social Worker.

What You Will Need

Definitely not one size fits all, but we are looking for individuals/couples who :

  • Willing to care/welcome a child into your home.
  • Have the capacity to care for a child who needs therapeutic reparative care.
  • Be able to provide positive reinforcement in your home environment
  • Have experience interacting with children & young people with various complex needs between the ages of 10 to 17 years of age or have capacity to learn
  • Be able to provide full time care as a Primary Carer. Flexible working arrangements are ok if your work enables you to be flexible to attend frequent appointments & meet the child’s specific needs.
  • Have a suitable living environment, including a spare bedroom
  • Are over 25 years of age.
  • Have the ability to champion positive change for children & young people
  • Have empathy and willingness to learn about complex needs & trauma.

Training

It is compulsory for everyone to complete shared lives training before they can be assessed to become an approved Foster Carer. If you are applying as a couple, both partners must attend, even though one of you may not be the main carer. We run our shared lives training over 2.5 days.

  • Part 1 Shared Lives – face-to-face and Part 2 Shared Lives – online 2-3 hours.
  • Management of Actual or Potential training – face-to-face – 1 day
  • VR training – face-to-face – 2 x 2 hour sessions

Support

We believe that providing a high level of foster care support is crucial to the stability of a foster placement. It is also central to our Key Care Team Model of practice which is at the heart of everything we do.

Key Assets respectfully acknowledges the traditional custodians of this land

Key Assets Australia is a non-government, not for profit, non-religious, children, family and community services agency. Our purpose is to achieve positive and lasting outcomes for children, families, and communities.

Call to speak to our team

Mon-Fri 9am-5pm