Pay boost for thousands of South Australian foster, kinship carers

Thousands of foster and kinship carers will get a pay boost from January - the biggest increase in more than a decade.

More than 2000 foster and kinship carers will receive a $25 a week pay increase from January.

The state government says it’s the largest rise in carer fortnightly payments in more than a decade.

But the increase, though welcomed, still falls short of covering the costs of caring for children and young people, according to Connecting Foster and Kinship Carers SA.

From January 1, support payments will rise to $413 a fortnight for foster and kinship carers of kids aged four and under, and up to almost $630 for those caring for children aged 13 to 15.

The payment is used to assist with the day-to-day costs of caring for children and young people aged 16 and under.

The carer payment for youths aged 16 to 21 will remain at $784.40 a fortnight following a 3.6 per cent increase in the last two years.

In addition to the fortnightly payments, other costs – including education, public health and dental – are covered by the Child Protection Department.

Child Protection Minister Rachel Sanderson said family-based care was the best form of protection for the state’s most vulnerable children and young people.

“The love, care and support our foster and kinship carers give our most vulnerable children and young people in care is priceless,” said Ms Sanderson.

She said the payment hike was part of a number of initiatives to better support children, young people and their carers, including extending carer payments for young people up to age 21 from 2019. Connecting Foster and Kinship Carers SA CEO Fiona Endacott said the extra payments were welcomed but added that there was “a way to go before we reach a satisfactory amount for SA carers”.

“Carers have shared with our organisation that they are often out of pocket with regard to paying for support services, health care costs and amenities for their young people, which adds unnecessary pressure on families.”

Ms Endacott said more comprehensive consultation with the foster and kinship care community and dedicated research into carer payments was needed.

There are currently 4688 children in state care – a number that continues to rise, latest figures show. Of those, 1694 are in foster care and 2290 in kinship care.