Foster Carer FAQ

When you provide foster care with Burdekin, you can foster in your own home, or you can choose to live in a home provided by us.

If you decide to foster in your own home, it’s important that the space is safe and welcoming. We will arrange a visit to check that everything is suitable for the child or young person you are bringing into your home.

They will need their own room, a comfortable and private space to call their own. If you are worried about whether your current home is suitable, we are here to help.

Our team can work with you to make any adjustments needed for a suitable living environment for both you and the child or young person you foster.

Yes! You can work while being a Burdekin Foster Carer. In fact, having a job sets a great example for the young person in your care, showing them the value of commitment and hard work.

That said, it is important to make sure that your job doesn’t conflict with your responsibilities as a Foster Carer. The age of the young person you foster is one of the main things to consider. For instance, if your job requires regular travel out of town or long hours every day, it might be challenging to provide the support and presence that a child or young person in foster care needs. As a rule, they will need you outside of school hours, so we look to find a balance that works for everyone involved.

If you are unsure whether your career or lifestyle fits with being a Foster Carer, reach out and we can discuss your specific needs, we have different options that may work for different people.

Foster care is a long-term commitment, however we do have other essential roles for caring individuals who are not ready or able to meet that commitment. If you are not ready to be a full time Foster Carer but want to make a difference, consider being a Respite Carer or Volunteer with our young people 

Respite Carers

Many of our Foster Carers start their journey as Respite Carers. Respite Carers provide temporary foster care homes for young people who normally live full-time with a Foster Carer. This is a crucial way in which we support Foster Carers, and it is also a great way to get a feel for what fostering is like.

Volunteering with Young People

We are always looking for volunteers who will spend a couple of hours each week developing connections with our young people and helping them gain skills and confidence in their abilities.

You may help them with social skills, driving support, or teach them how to cook, plan a budget or do a job interview. You may share a specific skill or shared hobby, or enjoy sports or activities together.

If you wish to volunteer with young people, check out our roles for volunteering in Sydney and get in touch.

Respite Carers play a vital role in our foster care community. Respite Carers provide essential support to full-time foster families by giving them scheduled breaks in the year. This is generally a short-term foster care arrangement, where you welcome a child or young person into your home for a few days or a week, allowing their primary foster family some time to recharge.

Some find that being a Respite Carer fits perfectly with their lifestyle or career, allowing them to contribute in a meaningful way in short bursts throughout the year.

Some find that the experience gives them the confidence to take the next step and become full-time Foster Carers.

Whether you choose to be a Respite Carer or take on a long-term Foster Carer role, your work is valuable and will have a lasting impact.

To become a Burdekin Foster Carer in Sydney, it’s ideal if you’re located in one of the areas we serve, which includes Northern Sydney, Inner West, Eastern, and South East Sydney. This helps us keep things close and better support the children and young people in foster care.

We strive to maintain the continuity of schools, communities, and social groups as much as possible with each placement. Our goal is to make the transition as smooth as we can for our young people, helping them feel secure and connected to their familiar environments.

We know how important it is for young people to stay close to their friends and support networks, and being located in our service areas helps us achieve that.

Foster Carers are special people! We look for caring individuals who can make young people feel safe, accepted, and supported without judgement.

Ideal Foster Carers are empathetic, respectful, and able to look beyond behaviours to understand what young people are going through. They like young people, and like to spend time with them. They love the idea of guiding a young person to adulthood, offering attention, skills, guidance and company.

To become a Foster Carer in Sydney there are a few important things to keep in mind!

You need to be over 25, an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident. You’ll also need to go through a thorough foster care assessment process, including working with children and police checks.

As a Foster Carer, your responsibility is to provide a supportive family environment.

Firstly - the basics of daily life, including cooking nutritious meals and ensuring a clean, safe, and comfortable home – but it is way more than that! It’s about being the person they can go to, being the person who looks out for them, who is thinking about them, who cares.

You get to share your passions and hopes and dreams, and inspire them in their journey. You get to notice areas and skills they are missing, and fill in any gaps. To see what they may not realise is missing, because of their backgrounds, and help them access the resources they need to be a successful adult.

You’ll also participate in meetings with your Support Manager and be open to feedback.

The Burdekin team is supportive and we think.. amazing!

Our Carer Recruitment and Support Coordinator and the wider Burdekin team will be there for you every step of the way. We are very invested in your journey with your young person, in helping you all succeed.

If you need a suitable home for you and your young person, we will provide this, we offer a carer allowance and access to 24 days of respite each year.

Once you are an approved carer, we provide monthly online training that you can complete at your own convenience. In addition, we host face-to-face foster care training sessions about four times a year, with topics tailored to current needs such as Therapeutic Practices, De-escalation Techniques, and Aboriginal Cultural Awareness. Additional training is available as needed, provided by our Therapeutic Specialist, covering areas like caring for young people with ADHD or Autism.

As a Foster Carer, you will also meet with your Carer Support Worker once a month for supervision, during which ongoing training and support will be provided.

Financially there is a tax-free Foster Carer Payment to cover the costs of your foster child.

Yes, foster care training is provided. It starts with our Shared Lives Training, which is a two-part session designed to give you a comprehensive understanding of what it means to be a Foster Carer. This training covers the key qualities of a good carer, the support available to you, typical behaviours you might encounter from a young person in care, and an introduction to therapeutic practices. It also explains how Burdekin will support you, outlines the expectations of the role, and highlights the importance of maintaining a young person’s connection to their family and culture.

At Burdekin, Shared Lives Training is typically conducted on a one-to-one basis, either in person or online, allowing our carer team to start getting to know you.

Being a Foster Carer is very rewarding. Not only will you make a significant difference in the lives of young people, but you will also help them develop essential skills for their future. The experience can be transformative for both the young person in foster care and for you as a carer.

While experience is a plus, it’s not a must! What really matters is your willingness to connect with young people and your understanding of their unique experiences. If you’re open-minded and ready to learn, we’d love to hear from you!

We value empathy, patience, and a sense of humour! Being responsible and resourceful, along with a genuine desire to create positive change, will help you thrive as a Foster Carer.