(08) 8269 9333 stateoffice@lutherancare.org.au
Two children are painting a picture of a house. The text logo at the bottom of the image reads Be the Village and appears with the Lutheran Care logo

Have you thought about fostering?

Be the Village.

Contact our friendly and professional team to learn more or take the next step in your fostering journey.
Lutheran Care

About Foster Care

Lutheran Care highly values the critical role of foster carers and the contributions that their friends and families make to the nurture of children and young people. We recognize that children belong and thrive in families and foster carers provide stable, supportive and nurturing homes to help children feel safe and secure while separated from their birth parents and siblings.

Lutheran Care welcomes foster care enquiries from all walks of life. We offer various types of care across both our Generalist Foster Care and Specialist Foster Care services. There is a great need for foster carers in both services, and a high demand for Respite Care for both long term Generalist and Specialist foster care families.

We are eager to hear from anyone thinking about fostering for the first time who may want a friend chat with a member of our team to learn more about fostering; or anyone who has been thinking about fostering for some time (maybe years!) and eager to take the next step in their journey.

Foster Care is a journey, and our team is here to walk alongside you every step of the way.

Lutheran Care is renowned for our highly skilled staff team and the exceptional carer support we provide all our families in both Generalist and Specialist Foster Care. If you are thinking about fostering and would like to learn more, or have been thinking about fostering for a while and ready to take the next step, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Stories from the Village.

Foster Care Information Booklet

Download our Information Booklet

Specialist Care Information Booklet

Download our Information Booklet

Lutheran Care

About Foster Care

Lutheran Care highly values the critical role of Foster Carers and the contributions that their friends and families make to the nurture of children and young people. We recognise that children belong and thrive in families and Foster Carers provide stable, supportive and nurturing homes to help children feel safe and secure while separated from their birth parents and siblings. There are different types of Foster Care including Long Term, Short Term and Respite across both Generalist and Specialist programs.

When Foster Carers invite children or young people in need to be a part of their family, whether that’s for a short time or a long time, it has the potential to be life-changing; for both the carers and the children. Fostering is both challenging and rewarding. Carers provide emotional support and care for a child’s day-to-day needs and support the child in their educational and recreational activities.

To become a Foster Carer, you will undergo an assessment process where your maturity, health and lifestyle is considered within the context of the type of care you would like to provide. Some of the characteristics and personal qualities of successful Foster Carers include flexibility, teamwork, communication, acceptance, playfulness and a commitment to lifelong learning. Carers are everyday members of the community who have a strong commitment to helping others, especially children. Unfortunately, our community needs more everyday people who are able to offer caring homes to children and young people who cannot live with their birth families. Foster Carers help children feel safe and secure while separated from their birth parents. Successful Foster Carers in both Generalist and Specialist Foster Care share many characteristics, however there is a unique eligibility criteria and skillset we are looking for in Specialist Foster Carers to meet the needs of children and young people in Specialist Care.

Children are at the centre of what we do, and we ‘the village for children and young people’ work together as a Care Team to meet the needs and serve the best interests of each individual child in care. Foster Carers, Lutheran Care (LC) Support Workers and Social Workers who work on behalf of the Department for Child Protection (DCP), actively participate in the Care Team to ensure that any decision which is made on behalf of the child is in the best interests of the child. Lutheran Care Foster Carers work with the child’s allocated DCP Case Worker and their Lutheran Care Support Worker as part of the Care Team to achieve the set goal or plan for the child.

Yes! Lutheran Care actively supports many Foster Carers who are single or are the sole resident of the home. Single Foster Carers can make great foster parents regardless of their sexual orientation. Couples can also foster. Couples can be married or in de facto relationships.

Absolutely! We proudly journey alongside and support many same-sex foster families who are each providing exceptional care to the children and young people in their care.

Yes, you can foster. The Foster Carer assessment is not dependent on your assets. However, you do need to demonstrate that you can provide safe and adequate accommodation where a child can live, play and sleep and that you are financially capable of supporting an additional child in your home. As part of the assessment process, pet hygiene and safety will be considered to determine that your home is suitable for caring for children and young people in care.

Every Foster Carer at Lutheran Care is allocated a dedicated Foster Care Case Worker (also known as a Foster Care Support Worker) who supports them in their fostering journey. Lutheran Care Support Workers journey with our Foster Carers to provide practical assistance, professional advocacy or a listening ear. Support workers can also advocate on behalf of the Foster Carer for training, resources or access to support services. We provide a 24/7 telephone line dedicated to our Foster Carers, so there is always someone from Lutheran Care at the other end of the phone to provide support, advice or assistance whenever it is needed.

Yes, there is a Foster Carer allowance paid to registered Foster Carers which varies depending on the needs of the children and young people in your care and the type of fostering you provide. In the general sense, this is considered financial assistance to reimburse and help cover the costs of the children in your care and is not considered an income.

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Lutheran Care highly values the critical role of Foster Carers and the contributions that their friends and families make to the nurture of children and young people. We recognise that children belong and thrive in families and Foster Carers provide stable, supportive and nurturing homes to help children feel safe and secure while separated from their birth parents and siblings. There are different types of Foster Care including Long Term, Short Term and Respite across both Generalist and Specialist programs.

When Foster Carers invite children or young people in need to be a part of their family, whether that’s for a short time or a long time, it has the potential to be life-changing; for both the carers and the children. Fostering is both challenging and rewarding. Carers provide emotional support and care for a child’s day-to-day needs and support the child in their educational and recreational activities.

To become a Foster Carer, you will undergo an assessment process where your maturity, health and lifestyle is considered within the context of the type of care you would like to provide. Some of the characteristics and personal qualities of successful Foster Carers include flexibility, teamwork, communication, acceptance, playfulness and a commitment to lifelong learning. Carers are everyday members of the community who have a strong commitment to helping others, especially children. Unfortunately, our community needs more everyday people who are able to offer caring homes to children and young people who cannot live with their birth families. Foster Carers help children feel safe and secure while separated from their birth parents. Successful Foster Carers in both Generalist and Specialist Foster Care share many characteristics, however there is a unique eligibility criteria and skillset we are looking for in Specialist Foster Carers to meet the needs of children and young people in Specialist Care.

Children are at the centre of what we do, and we ‘the village for children and young people’ work together as a Care Team to meet the needs and serve the best interests of each individual child in care. Foster Carers, Lutheran Care (LC) Support Workers and Social Workers who work on behalf of the Department for Child Protection (DCP), actively participate in the Care Team to ensure that any decision which is made on behalf of the child is in the best interests of the child. Lutheran Care Foster Carers work with the child’s allocated DCP Case Worker and their Lutheran Care Support Worker as part of the Care Team to achieve the set goal or plan for the child.

Yes! Lutheran Care actively supports many Foster Carers who are single or are the sole resident of the home. Single Foster Carers can make great foster parents regardless of their sexual orientation. Couples can also foster. Couples can be married or in de facto relationships.

Absolutely! We proudly journey alongside and support many same-sex foster families who are each providing exceptional care to the children and young people in their care.

Yes, you can foster. The Foster Carer assessment is not dependent on your assets. However, you do need to demonstrate that you can provide safe and adequate accommodation where a child can live, play and sleep and that you are financially capable of supporting an additional child in your home. As part of the assessment process, pet hygiene and safety will be considered to determine that your home is suitable for caring for children and young people in care.

Every Foster Carer at Lutheran Care is allocated a dedicated Foster Care Case Worker (also known as a Foster Care Support Worker) who supports them in their fostering journey. Lutheran Care Support Workers journey with our Foster Carers to provide practical assistance, professional advocacy or a listening ear. Support workers can also advocate on behalf of the Foster Carer for training, resources or access to support services. We provide a 24/7 telephone line dedicated to our Foster Carers, so there is always someone from Lutheran Care at the other end of the phone to provide support, advice or assistance whenever it is needed.

Yes, there is a Foster Carer allowance paid to registered Foster Carers which varies depending on the needs of the children and young people in your care and the type of fostering you provide. In the general sense, this is considered financial assistance to reimburse and help cover the costs of the children in your care and is not considered an income.

Join the Village

Foster Care is a journey.

The journey doesn’t begin or end when you welcome a new child into your life and home – but it is a profoundly new chapter in your life. Lutheran Care walk alongside you and support you as you navigate the challenges and enjoy the rewards of sharing your family and dedicating yourselves to meeting the needs and best interests of the children and young people in your care.

Contact our friendly and professional team to learn more or take the next step in your fostering journey.

Learn more about Foster Care

Attend an Information Session

Our commitment to recruiting and supporting Foster Carers for vulnerable children and young people in need remains one of our highest priorities.

We therefore offer both online and in-person options to attend an upcoming Information Session. Information Sessions on either platform (in-person or online) are held live, facilitated by an experienced Lutheran Care Foster Care staff member. Information Sessions cover detailed information about different types of care, the roles of Foster Carers, the nature and challenges of Foster Care and extensive information about what you can expect throughout the assessment and training process to become a Foster Carer. Information Sessions are a unique opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have and hear from both a staff member and a seasoned Foster Carer. Throughout your journey to learn more about fostering and making an informed decision for you and your family, we are committed to providing you with honest and transparent information every step of the way.

Due to COVID-19 appropriate protocols will be in place to support physical distancing at our in-person Information Sessions. To ensure the health and wellbeing of attendees bookings are essential. Please register to attend an Information Session.

See all upcoming Information Sessions and Online Webinar dates here.

Contact our friendly and professional team

If you would like to speak to someone about becoming a foster carer, please feel free to contact our friendly team on 8337 8787. We would be delighted to have a personal chat with you and explore the possibilities of becoming a foster carer with you in a personal conversation.

Types of Care

We offer both Generalist and Specialist Foster Care and provide a range of care options that foster carers can choose from. Carers can register for multiple types of care depending on their capacity.

Types of Care

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Information Sessions

Join us at an upcoming information session to learn more about the process of becoming a foster carer, meet a carer and ask any questions you may have.

Information Sessions

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Who Can Foster

Foster carers come from all walks of life to care for children and young people. This includes Singles, Couples (including same-sex couples), families with or without their own children and with or without pets.

Who Can Foster

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Connection to Culture

We are committed to reconciliation and improving outcomes and opportunities for Aboriginal children in care. We are committed to ensuring that all children in care, regardless of their cultural background and ethnicity, grow up with a strong sense of pride, identity and belonging.

Connection to Culture

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Becoming a Foster Carer

Caring for children unable to live in their family home is a very special and important role, so choosing the right people for the task is essential.

Becoming a Foster Carer

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Contact Us

When you become a foster carer, you join a community of like-minded, generous, ever-learning, ever-growing community of loving people. If you would like to learn more and take the next step in your journey we look forward to hearing from you.

Lutheran Care Foster Carers