A foster carer in Victoria has had to resign after three weeks of looking after a traumatized young boy. This pilot project highlights the difficult realities that families face in today’s out-of-home care system. Her decision to resign is because of deep concerns over a lack of support and funding for foster carers in the area. This area has the lowest base level carer allowance anywhere in Australia.
The Victorian state government commits a significant amount of funding to their child protection system. Last budget period, residential care funding was $553 million, and foster and kinship care funding was $560 million. Even with the heavy investment in support, many foster carers—including Elaine—still feel overwhelmed and under-resourced. Yet they are left to figure out how to care for the children placed in their homes.
Our child protection department has found that Victoria is number one in the country for kinship care. More than four out of five placements in the state do. The need for placements is increasing at an unprecedented rate. Sadly, this intense demand does not align with the support provided to carers, impacting their capacity to provide a stable and caring home.
Funding and Support Issues
Elaine has now resigned from her position as a foster carer. In a powerful piece on Medium, she articulated her frustrations about the systemic factors that led to her painful choice. She only got the call the day before the boy came to stay with her. This very late announcement afforded her hardly any time to plan.
“Basically, I was called and he was coming the next day,” – Elaine.
Elaine’s experience is typical. Many foster carers face a lack of adequate support and resources. It’s disappointing because Victoria’s base level 1 carer allowance is well over $200 below the daily cost of raising a child. This gap adds significant burden on those working to develop permanent residences for at-risk young people.
This lack of appropriate funding carries over to our country’s children. Elaine told us this story about one student, whom she nicknamed Oliver, who would show up to school without adequate hygiene products. In his third research school diary entry, he reported that his classmates didn’t get any food or drink during breaks. In one post, she focused on his plight for the right attire.
“Not supplied anything to eat or drink for 1st break. Staff supplied sandwiches drinks before Oliver went to play at 11:10am. He did not have a hat — used a teacher’s hat. Overshirt and tracksuit pants on a hot day not suitable,” – school diary entry.
These incidents exemplify the cracks in the system that are supposed to protect youth in care. They make clear that the need for reforms is more urgent than ever.
Emotional and Psychological Needs
Beyond physical requirements, Oliver’s emotional demands were further obstacles for Elaine. She worries for his safety tonight and thinks comfort items are essential. These gifts run the gamut, from a weighted blanket to a crystal lamp.
“He is scared of dark so his crystal lamp in bag is invaluable,” – Elaine.
Emotional support is key for kids such as Oliver. Many of them, like Oliver, had experienced trauma even prior to their entry into foster care. Stability and reassurance are extremely important for foster children. Too many foster carers experience the same frustrations – they don’t believe they have the right tools to give this crucial support properly.
Elaine opened up about the emotional impact of her time as a foster carer. She noted how far a small act of kindness can go for kids in care. She remembered her own kid Oliver’s desire to wear a birthday badge to school because it was important for him to blend in.
“The biggest thing he wanted was a birthday badge to wear to school … to be like everybody else, to be celebrated, to have attention,” – Elaine.
This shows how even the smallest acts of recognition can go a long way toward making a child feel welcomed and more at home in their environment.
Calls for Reform
In response to these issues, advocates are pushing for immediate reforms to improve Victoria’s out-of-home care system. Samantha Hauge, a spokesperson for foster carers, emphasized the need for improved administrative processes that would ease the burden on those trying to navigate complex bureaucratic systems.
“We need to see improved administrative processes and make things easier for carers to navigate the complex out-of-home care system and stop encountering all of the bureaucratic red tape,” – Samantha Hauge.
Hauge recognized that a lot of folks in the community are still unaware of the crisis in foster care in Victoria. She referred to it as a “quiet crisis.” Until we stop ignoring these systemic realities, children will continue to fall through the cracks without the support structures they so desperately need.
“Basically, it’s a quiet crisis — as many people in community are just not aware of the situation,” – Samantha Hauge.
The absence of appropriate funding and support sets up countless foster carers to fail. Elaine’s story is an unfortunate but timely example of the need for change on a deeper, systemic level within the child welfare system.
