Foster care

Foster care provides a safe and supportive home to children who have been abused or neglected by their natural parents.

A child might stay in foster care for as little as one night or as long as a few years. It all depends on the seriousness of the issues faced by the child’s parents and their ability to address those issues and become the nurturing family the child needs them to be.

Anglicare Victoria is the State’s largest provider of foster care and therefore forms a vital role protecting children and ensuring they have a safe and loving home. We deliver foster care across metropolitan Melbourne and Gippsland.

Foster carers are trained, provided with ongoing support and reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses related to caring for children. Families are also provided with assistance in co-ordinating appropriate support services to meet their specific needs such as respite care, counselling, holiday opportunities and sibling support groups.

Types of care

Anglicare coordinates foster care for children of all ages – from babies through adolescent years until young people turn 18. If a young person still needs support after they turn 18, we find the best way to deliver practical independent living skills outside of the foster care system.

Anglicare Victoria offers a comprehensive range of foster care services including adolescent community care, disability foster care and permanent care and adoption. We provide these services throughout metropolitan Melbourne and the Gippsland region.

We also support families caring for a child with an intellectual or physical disability by arranging respite care or longer term care where necessary.

For a small number of children who are unable to return home, Anglicare co-ordinates permanent care and adoption from centres in Melbourne's West and Gippsland. Care-givers continue to receive on-going support and advice.