Treatment Foster Care Oregon (TFCO), a specialised foster care program has been ‘breaking the cycle’ for children in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland who, through no fault of their own, have ended up in residential care.
And now, thanks to a commitment by the South Australian Government, this evidence-based program is set to begin changing the lives of vulnerable teens/young people in South Australia with the program being delivered in partnership with the State Government.
“For children or young people in foster care who are displaying complex emotional and behavioural difficulties multiple placement breakdowns are common, often these children and young people are one placement away from entering residential care.
– says OzChild Chief Executive Officer, Dr Lisa J. Griffiths.
Wherever possible children and young people should live within families not in staffed residential care facilities, that’s why delivering this program is so important to us,”
A first for South Australia, the TFCO program, which aims to reduce the number of children and young people in residential care will be backed by OzChild’s success in delivering this specialised foster care model in Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland.
“With four years’ experience, OzChild is the only accredited provider of TFCO in Australia and has established five teams across three states. Entry into South Australia really cements the incredible, life changing outcomes being achieved. We are excited by the opportunity to make a difference in South Australia too,” says Estelle Paterson, OzChild’s Director Qld and SA.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Child Protection data released 18 May 2021, 4,136 children and young people were residing in out-of-home care in South Australia at 30 June 2020, of which 600 were living in residential care.
TFCO plays a critical part in supporting the child protection system because the aim is to reunify children and young people with their biological family, including kinship carers, or place in lower intensity long-term foster care. We are now looking for people interested in helping us deliver life-changing outcomes by becoming foster carers in South Australia, as well as Victoria, Queensland, and New South Wales.
Read the media release here.
OzChild is currently looking for individuals or couples in all parts of South Australia interested in participating in this internationally proven foster care program.
Foster Care Week is celebrated in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia from 11-17 September. We are both humbled and amazed by the enormous contribution of our village of carers who open their homes, their hearts and their lives giving back to the community so selflessly.
Child maltreatment is a pervasive issue that casts a long, dark shadow over the lives of countless young Australians. It’s a problem that transcends social, economic, and cultural boundaries, leaving a lasting impact on victims and society as a whole.
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