Fewer foster carers abandon system, leading to more secure homes for at-risk children
Critics once warned that foster carers were leaving the system in droves, but now figures actually show an increase in carers.
- Desperate need for foster carers in South Australia
- Centacare push to keep more siblings together
- Soaring cost of care is exacerbated by a shortage of families
The tide is beginning to turn as new figures show fewer foster carers are deserting a system in desperate need of homes for at-risk children.
Following inquiries from The Advertiser, the Child Protection Department has for the first time released data showing how many carers are joining or leaving the system each year.
Critics have long warned that foster carers were leaving in droves because they did not feel supported to care for children with traumatic backgrounds or had bad interactions with the department.
New data spanning the past five years confirms this was the case between 2014-15 and 2016-17 but there has been a turnaround in the past two years.
In 2017-18, children were placed with a total of 92 new foster carers, above any who left the system.
Figures are only available for the first 10 months of last financial year, during which time children were matched with 30 new foster carers above the rate of attrition.
Following the 2018 election, Child Protection Minister Rachel Sanderson set a target to recruit 50 foster carers above attrition each year.
The department says the total number of potential foster households registered with it increased by exactly 50 between the end of 2017-18 and April, 2019, but that includes houses not currently hosting a child.
This could be because of medical or biological family concerns or because a suitable match could not yet be made with a child.
Opposition child protection spokeswoman Jayne Stinson welcomed the increase in foster carers but said it was “disappointing to see a dramatic drop” in new kinship carers, who are relatives of children in care or already otherwise known to them.
Kinship carer households had been rising but fell from 1081 to 1074 over the last 10 months of data, as larger numbers left the system.
Ms Sanderson acknowledged that “in previous years, more foster carers left the system than were recruited” but said she was “committed to improving their experience and communication with the department”.
Department boss Cathy Taylor said carers left the system for reasons including a “change in circumstances, a child has turned 18 and aged out of care, health issues for the carer or the age of the carer”.
“The department is working with carers to understand some of the challenges they face,” she said.
New carer Matt, 21, and his partner Aaron, 27, took in their first foster son, 4, about a month ago. The couple had some nerves about becoming foster carers but said these were eased by the training offered through AnglicareSA.
“It feels natural with us now,” Matt said.
“I know there are so many children out there in need.”
There are more than 3900 children in state care, including 415 who have to live in state-run houses and 93 in rental accommodation because suitable homes cannot be found.