Foster carers play a crucial role in educating, protecting and caring for a child or young person. On your journey to become a foster carer, you’ll learn many skills that will make a difference in a child’s life. For this reason, foster care training is critical to enable you to perform your role and assess suitability. It can take some time, but we’re here to help you every step of the way. After registering your interest, and attending an information session, you’ll begin essential training.
What happens in an information session?
The first step, after you’ve contacted us, is to attend an information session. Our information session is a 27-minute video filled with essential information to help you understand how you can be the best carer you can be.
The video will begin with an introduction of who we are, what we do and who we help. We’ll then discuss the foster care system, including the difference between foster and kinship care, why children enter care, the financial supports available, and how foster carers can support young people.
The session then covers basic information on becoming a foster carer and explains how and why children need foster or kinship care and discusses the social, cultural and financial support you’ll have access to. You’ll be given an idea of what to expect throughout your journey as a foster carer and what responsibilities you must commit to.
What will you have to do?
In Queensland, you’ll undergo pre-service training and complete four modules. These modules prepare prospective applicants for foster care through several topics. Throughout the course, you’ll gain an understanding of the context of foster care, the types of children you can expect to care for and their backgrounds, what early days in placement will look like, and how to work together to provide quality care. The module consists of videos, mixed media, group activities and analysing case studies.
After you complete the initial pre-service training, you’ll submit four short-answer homework sheets and four personal reflection journals. These journals allow you to reflect on everything you have learned. Remember, this isn’t a test. We just want to make sure that you have everything you need. Once you complete these tasks, you’ll then begin your next stage as a foster carer.
What happens next?
Anglicare Southern Queensland operates with a person-centered approach when working with clients and young people. This means that we want to connect with you at every stage of your journey and ensure you have all the information that you need. Should you experience any barriers throughout the process, our team is always available to help. There will always be ongoing support available to you once you’ve become a foster carer. You’ll have constant support from your foster care practitioner and a wide community of foster carers that can offer you guidance, as well as extensive support in the form of ongoing training programs and resources.
If you’ve been a foster carer in another state or territory in Australia and are hoping to foster in Queensland, you’ll still need to complete pre-service training to become an approved carer in Queensland.
Do you want to learn more or have questions? Our FAQ page has answers to the most asked questions. If your question hasn’t been answered, don’t hesitate to contact us.