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Yes. All TFCO carers receive a tax-free pro-rata carer allowance of $75,000 per year in VIC and QLD, and $80,000 per year in NSW. This equates to receiving $6,667 a month in NSW and $6,250 per month in VIC and QLD. This carer allowance is to help with the costs associated with supporting a child or young person in your care, like food, clothes and activities. A carer allowance is different from paid employment, where you get superannuation, sick leave, etc.; however, the carer allowance is tax-free, meaning you would receive up to an additional $30,000 a year if you would compare it to a job where you pay tax. There may also be Centrelink benefits you are entitled to as a carer, which we will discuss with you as they depend on your circumstances. While being a TFCO carer is a full-time commitment, you can continue to work in a full or part-time capacity until you have a child placed in your care. Respite TFCO carers (eg. caring one weekend a month) receive the same pro-rata carer allowance as full-time TFCO carers but you would get paid for the days when they are caring for a child or young person.

“If you wish to be a full-time TFCO carer, it is recommended that at least one adult from the carer household stays home in a full-time capacity in order to be flexible to the needs of the child and care team surrounding them. We also offer a respite TFCO carer option, which has the flexibility in working full-time simultaneously.”

Yes. Single TFCO carers can still have strong, established support systems in place, which is what the application process will identify, explore and, if needed, build.

Yes. It is essential for children and young people in the TFCO program to have their own private and safe space, where they can settle in, feel it is their own and enable them to thrive, especially where there is a background of trauma. Sharing rooms is prohibited within the program and ensures all children in the carers household have their own room to retreat to.

The placement generally lasts somewhere between six to 12 months, as this is where the research shows the TFCO therapeutic response to be the most effective for children, as well as sustainable for the carer households.