Foster care support to aid most vulnerable across Tasmania

BaptistCare is excited to partner with The Department of Communities Tasmania to extend its recruitment of foster carers across Tasmania, offering training and ongoing support to help create more positive environments for children most at risk.

With the rate of children receiving child protection services in Australia continuing to rise, with around 158,600, or 1 in 35, children having received child protection services in 2017-18, BaptistCare Family and Community Services Operations Manager, Chris Demeyer says foster carers offer a crucial lifeline for those most vulnerable.

“Foster carers are the unsung heroes of our community who provide positive and nurturing environments for some of our community’s most at risk children”, said Mr Demeyer.

“We know fostering a child can be a richly rewarding experience but sometimes people are apprehensive in their approach to begin and are unsure of how the process works. BaptistCare will now be able to provide training and ongoing support to help potential foster carers know what to expect and how to achieve positive outcomes. BaptistCare is excited to help even more children and young people find a caring place to call home,” said Mr Demeyer.

BaptistCare welcomes foster carers from all types of households, family units and backgrounds who can offer respite, emergency, short term (3-6 months), and long term (6 months or more) care. All applicants are required to be over 21 years of age, have adequate space in their home, have no criminal record, and pass a police and relevant working with vulnerable persons/children check.

This new partnership complements our longstanding delivery of foster care opportunities within Victoria which last year saw 102 children provided with a safe and nurturing environment.

For more information call 13 22 78 or visit https://www.baptcare.org.au/services/family-youth-and-foster-care/foster-care .