Specialist Foster Carer

About the role

Specialised Foster Care is for children entering out-of-home care who have complex needs such as physical disability, complex communication or mental health needs which require significant commitment and dedication from a carer.

Children with a disability have the same rights and needs as other children, including:

- to grow up in a safe, stable, and nurturing home
- an understanding community
- an education so they can learn, develop, achieve their goals and thrive
- a loving family
- a network of friends

Caring for a child with a disability requires significant and ongoing commitment - providing for their day to day needs, ensuring they are connected to their family, are valued members of their community, and, most importantly reach their full potential.

CatholicCare are actively seeking Specialist Foster Carers for children, between the ages of 0 to 5 years old.

If you have a professional background in disability services, education, social services, mental health, or have experience with or an understanding of childhood trauma and associated challenges, you could be ideal for specialised foster care.

The experience of caring for a child with disability can be very rewarding. Seeing a child with a disability responding to care, growing in capacity, and developing their relationships is a powerful experience.

Other Benefits
- Become an integral and highly valued member of our Care Team and foster care family.
- Receive a tax-free allowance to support the day-to-day needs of the child or teenager in your care.
- Receive comprehensive training and ongoing learning opportunities.
- Be a positive role model and advocate for young ones in need.
- Being able to demonstrate the foundations of safe, healthy and trusting relationships.
- Becoming an integral part of a child’s life story whilst providing a safe healing space for a child or young person.
- Receive personalised support from a dedicated Care Team including a Carer Support and Development Caseworker, Child and Family Caseworker, Education, NDIS and Cultural Consultants and Therapeutic Specialists.
- Access to 24/7 on-call support in the case of emergency assistance and support outside of general business hours.
- Opportunities for Carers to socialise, network, share their experiences and access peer support.
- Being a Long-term Foster Carer can be hugely rewarding and life-changing, not only for the child or young person in care, but for the Carer themselves, their family and support network.
- Application, assessment and approval process usually takes between 3 to 6 months and includes probity checks, assessment interviews and training.

Who can become a Specialist Foster Carer?

You need to be aged between 25 - 50 years old, be fit and healthy and able to care for a child in your care.
- CatholicCare wants Foster Carers who can bring security, kindness, respect, resilience, patience and compassion into the lives of children who need it the most. Can you be the one person to make a difference to the life of a child or teenager in need?_

Additional Information

CatholicCare Social Service Hunter Manning is a child safe organisation, committed to the protection of children and has zero-tolerance of any abuse of children. All volunteers are required to undergo a National Police Check, a Community Services Check and retain a valid Working with Children Check and comply with our Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct.

PBA2

Profession: #Community_Services, #Education_and_Training, #Social_and_Support_Work

Sector: #Children, #Community_Support_Services, #Youth_and_Young_People