By Christine de Kock
THE State Government will pump $500,000 into a foster care recruitment drive across Victoria.
Margi MacGregor, Anglicare North West’s recruitment coordinator, welcomed the move.
Ms MacGregor said the Yarraville-based agency had been concerned about the shortage of carers for a long time.
“That means existing carers are under great pressure to provide placements for children needing care,” she said.
Ms MacGregor said Anglicare was running a recruitment drive to keep siblings together.
“We are looking for families who can care for sibling groups,” she said.
“There are sometimes families with three to eight children who need foster care.
“Even if families need to be split up, if a couple of children could remain together in each household, that would be good.”
She added that families, couples and single people in the West were very supportive of the foster care program.
“We really appreciate the willingness and good quality of care they provide,” she said.
The State Government funds will be distributed through the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare.
The centre will develop the campaign in consultation with Foster Care Association of Victoria, Department of Human Services and other community service agencies.
Emily Duizend, project officer, for Foster Care Association of Victoria’s recruitment program, urged people from diverse multicultural backgrounds to become foster carers.
“The children we need to place reflect the demographics of different areas. We encourage people of different ethnic backgrounds to think about becoming foster carers.”
Foster carers are offered fortnightly reimbursement that covers the cost of looking after a child.
Carers are assessed and trained before they enter the program and ongoing training is offered.
Foster care placements can be short term, ranging from overnight to 18 months, or permanent.
Children in a permanent placement are usually in care until they turn 18 years old.
For further information contact: Foster Care Association of Victoria 1800 013 088 or Anglicare 9687 5200.
