Continuing Your Foster Care Journey

Information for OzChild Carers looking to continue fostering following the transition of the TFCA Program in NSW.

At OzChild, we know that foster carers play a vital role in helping children and young people experience safety, connections and opportunities to thrive.

As the Treatment Foster Care Australia (TFCA) program transitions, we are committed to supporting carers to explore the range of pathways available should they wish to continue their foster care journey. Every carer’s circumstances, skills and aspirations are different, and there is no single pathway that is right for everyone.

This page brings together information from a range of organisations and care models currently operating in New South Wales. The resources have been provided to help you understand the opportunities available, the support offered by different providers, and the steps involved in transitioning to another foster care or therapeutic care pathway.

Foster Care and Therapeutic Care Options

Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ)

DCJ offers a range of foster care opportunities, including emergency, respite and longer-term foster care arrangements. DCJ also operates the Intensive Foster Care (IFC) model, which provides additional support for children and young people with higher or more complex needs. Carers are supported by caseworkers, training opportunities, peer support networks and financial assistance to meet the needs of children in their care.

Resources:

Therapeutic Home-Based Care (THBC)

Therapeutic Home-Based Care is a specialist foster care model for children and young people with higher or more complex support needs. THBC carers work closely with therapeutic specialists and care teams to provide consistent, relationship-based support and participate in ongoing reflective practice and training.
A number of agencies provide THBC- DCJ can connect you with these agencies if you wish to discuss this model of care further.

Resources

Therapeutic Home-Based Care Information Sheet

Challenge Community Services

Challenge Community Services provides foster care, kinship care and specialist therapeutic care services across New South Wales. Their foster care program is supported by the CARE and Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) frameworks and offers both general foster care and specialist therapeutic placement opportunities.

Challenge also provides:

Ongoing training and professional development

Clinical and therapeutic support

Access to an Allied Health team

After-hours support

Opportunities for authorised carers and carers currently in assessment to discuss transition pathways and approval processes

Challenge operates across metropolitan, regional, and rural communities throughout NSW.

Resources

Visit challengecommunity.org.au

SSI Multicultural Foster Care

Settlement Services International (SSI) is a community organisation and social business that supports newcomers and other Australians to achieve their full potential. SSI offers a specialist foster care program for children and young people (aged 0-18 years) from CALD backgrounds.
SSI Multicultural Foster Care emphasises maintaining the bonds of ethnic background, religion and language when providing a foster home for children.

Resources:

SSI Become a Carer Flyer

SSI Becoming a Carer Booklet

Uniting Foster Care

Uniting provides foster care services across New South Wales and offers carers access to:

Dedicated casework and carer engagement teams

Family engagement consultants

Online and face-to-face training

24-hour on-call support

Support throughout the agency transition process

Uniting has advised that they welcome conversations with OzChild carers interested in learning more about their foster care programs and support.

Resources

Professional Individualised Care (PIC)

Professional Individualised Care (PIC) is a specialist out-of-home care provider delivering a one-to-one, relationship-based model of care. In the PIC model, a young person is individually matched with a Professional Therapeutic Carer who provides both therapeutic support and the opportunity to develop a stable, enduring relationship. PIC operates throughout New South Wales and offers several pathways for carers and professionals.

Resources:

PIC Overview and Prospectus

Becoming a Professional Therapeutic Carer

Ambulant Care Program Information

Therapeutic Assessment Pathways Information

Making the Right Choice for You

We recognise that deciding what comes next is an important decision. The resources on this page have been provided to help you understand the options available and explore pathways that match your experience, interests, and capacity.

There is no expectation that decisions need to be made immediately. We encourage you to take time to review the information, speak with providers directly if you wish, and consider which opportunity best aligns with your goals and the type of support you would like to provide to children and young people in the future.

Thank you for the care, commitment, and expertise you continue to bring to children and young people. The relationships you build help create strong foundations from which children can grow, heal, and thrive.