The Benevolent Society's innovative out-of-home care program provides foster care, relative and kinship care, wraparound support and family preservation services across Sydney.
Around 16,000 children and young people in NSW are unable to live with their birth families because they are at risk of harm or neglect. Reasons for this may relate to a parent’s drug or alcohol abuse, family breakdown, a parent’s illness or depression, a death in the family, or other serious issues.
Fostering Young Lives, The Benevolent Society's out-of-home care program, finds secure, stable homes and nurturing foster carers for these children and young peple. Planning for permanent care is an overall goal for each child and young person in care, including, wherever possible, being reunited with their parents.
Fostering Young Lives offers a variety services to support children and families in all sorts of situations:
General foster careChildren and young people aged 0–17 years are placed with an authorised carer after all options of care within a child’s family and community have been explored. Carers are authorised by The Benevolent Society to provide children and young people with a safe and stable home environment and support for their ongoing needs.
Relative and kinship careRelative care is the care of a child or young person by a member of their extended family, such as a grandparent, an aunt or step-brother. Kinship care is provided by a person who shares a cultural, tribal and community connection with a child or young person but is not related to them. Many children and young people in NSW are cared for by a relative or with kin.
Wraparound supportChildren and young people in out-of-home care are supported throughout their placement by a range of services tailored to address their individual needs. Priority services are respite care, counselling, health care, and educational support. The Benevolent Society’s wraparound teams include speech therapists, psychologists, counsellors, visiting paediatricians, visiting dentists, Aboriginal and CALD workers.
Family preservationSupport is provided to vulnerable families to help create safe, nurturing environments to allow children to remain with their own family, or, if they have been in care, to return home. This support includes individual case management, counselling for parents and children, intensive supervision, respite care and practical parenting skills. Older children in alternative accommodation are also supported to rebuild and maintain connections with their family.
For more information, contact us by email at fostering@bensoc.org.au or phone 02 9504 6694.