Kinship Care

The Kinship care program provides vital support to relatives to care for children and young people. This can also include neighbours, family friends or a member of a child’s community network who has had a significant relationship with the child.

Kinship care is the preferred form of care for a child or young person who is unable to live with their natural parents. Kinship care helps to preserve the child’s relationship with their family and maintains stability in a young person’s life.

Our kinship care team work with the child or young person and their networks, including carers, government child protection services and the child’s family to ensure a stable home environment and make sure that the best interests of the child are met.

OzChild kinship care services are delivered in the cities of Frankston, Port Phillip, Stonnington, Glen Eira, Bayside, Kingston and the Mornington Peninsula Shire.

Services are also provided to clients in Dandenong, Casey and Cardinia at the request of the Department of Health and Human Services. Referral to this program is only through Child Protection.

Our kinship carer group support meetings are a great way to meet other kinship carers in your area and provide a supportive environment in a relaxed and informal setting. Facilitated groups are held monthly in Highett, Frankston, Karingal and Rosebud. These groups are open and welcoming, and can help you access support services and increase your skills.

The Kinship Information and Advice Service assists kinship foster care families, children and young people, and the professionals who support them.

This kinship carer support may include:

This service can be accessed by all kinship foster carers and children, professionals, members of the extended family and broader community.