Every child’s needs are different…

Just as we all have unique needs, so do children who need care. Across NSW, there are a range of care types designed to support children and young people at different stages of their lives and circumstances. Each type of care can play an important role in providing stability, safety and support.

At Carers for Kids NSW, our role is to help people understand the different care options available and the pathways involved, so they can make informed decisions about caring for children.

Discover the type of care that suits your family

Every family’s situation is different, and there are a variety of care options to suit different circumstances. A child may need care for one night, a short period, or for months or years. Whether you are interested in foster care, kinship care, emergency care, part-time care, guardianship or adoption, Carers for Kids NSW provides information, resources and guidance to help you explore what caring might look like for you and your family.

In the video below, Melissa, a foster carer we support, shares her experience of caring for children and the role that guidance, training and connection play in her journey.

Relative and kinship care

Relative or kinship care is when a child or young person lives with a relative or someone they already know. This is the preferred option, as it allows children and young people to remain connected to family, kin and community, ideally where there is an existing relationship.

For many children, staying with family can provide stability and continuity of care. Relative and kinship carers may explore options such as legal guardianship through the appropriate pathways, with support and guidance available from agencies and services.

Foster care

When relative or kinship care is not possible, children and young people may be placed with an authorised foster carer. Foster carers provide a safe, stable home and a sense of belonging for children in out-of-home care.

Foster carers may have their own children living at home, helping to create a supportive family environment. The length of time a child remains in foster care can vary depending on their circumstances and care needs.

Ways to get started

There are several types of foster care, including:

  • Emergency care
    If there are concerns for the immediate safety of children and young people, they may need to be cared for through emergency care (also known as immediate or crisis care). If you’re an emergency carer, you may be asked to provide care for children of all ages, including infants and young children. These situations can arise after hours.
  • Short-term and medium-term care

    Sometimes children need a safe place to stay while their parents or family work on making changes so the child can return home. Short- to medium-term care focuses on supporting children to reunite with their birth parents or extended family, usually within two years.

    In some situations, a short-term carer may care for a child before they move to live with another authorised carer who is not a relative or kin.

  • Long-term or permanent care
    This type of care is for children and young people who need stability for longer than two years. When children can’t return to live with their birth family, they may grow up in a permanent home with a long-term foster carer.

    In some circumstances, carers may choose to explore becoming a child’s legal guardian or adopt a child who has been in their long-term care, through the appropriate pathways.

  • Part-time or respite care

    This type of care involves looking after children on an occasional basis. Part-time care provides a safe, supportive home for children and young people for short periods, such as weekends, once a month, or during school holidays.

  • Intensive Therapeutic Care
    Most children in care have come from challenging family situations. Many have experienced the impacts of neglect, abuse, parental drug and alcohol misuse, and domestic violence.

    Intensive Therapeutic Transitional Care (ITTC) is a specialised type of care for young people who have experienced trauma. Children and young people may receive ITTC for up to 13 weeks, during which they are supported with intensive care before moving into a less intensive type of care.

  • Step Down Care
    Step Down Care supports vulnerable children and young people to transition from residential therapeutic care into a family-based foster care environment.

Guardianship

If you’re interested in providing a stable, nurturing home for a child you already know, you may be able to apply to become their legal guardian.

When the Children’s Court decides that a child cannot safely return to live with their parents, a guardianship order can provide long-term stability and security. Depending on the child’s case plan or court orders, they may continue to have contact with their parents, family, and other important people in their life.

If you are a relative or have an established relationship and connection with a child—such as being their foster carer—you may be eligible to become their legal guardian. Legal guardianship gives you parental responsibility for the child until they turn 18.

Learn more about Guardianship

Adoption

Adoption is a significant, lifelong commitment. When you adopt a child or young person, parental rights and responsibilities are transferred from the birth parents to you as the adoptive parent.

For children and young people who cannot safely return to their birth family, adoption can provide long-term stability and a permanent home. Depending on the child’s circumstances and adoption plan, they may continue to have contact with their birth parents, family and other important people in their life.

Learn more about open adoption