Respite Foster Care

There are many different forms of foster care and all play an important role in bringing light and hope to the life of a child or young person.   
 
Right now, we need short-term foster carers who are able to provide Respite Care. Care can be one night or a few, depending on the need of the child and foster family.
 
Respite carers are there to provide another safe home environment where the child can stay.
 
Full-time and respite foster carers each play a vital role in transforming young lives. All carers receive an allowance as a contribution toward the costs of caring for the child or young person placed with them.
 
Across Queensland today, more than 10,500 children and young people who are unable to live in their family homes due to unsuitable or unsafe conditions. These children and young people need the safe and nurturing environment that foster carers provide to help them find a path to a brighter future.
 
In Queensland, there are just over 5400 families and individuals who care for children and young people in family-based care, these children and young people need a safe, secure and nurturing place to call home.
 
However, there continues to be a critical shortage of carers. We welcome all those who have thought of becoming a foster carer to take the first steps to opening their homes and hearts so that we can meet the growing need of supporting children and young people who are unable to live at home.
 
We need all kinds of carers from different backgrounds and cultures, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families who can support children to stay connected to their families and communities by providing emergency, short-term or long-term care.
 
The most important attribute you need to be a foster carer is a commitment to providing a safe and loving environment where you can support a child or young person at a time when they need it most. If you have an open heart and a stable home, you could make a huge difference to a young person’s life.
 
Churches of Christ is one of the largest not-for-profit providers of family-based care, supporting more than 1700 registered foster and kinship carers throughout Queensland and partnering closely with the Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs.
 
We care for more than 2500 children and young people each year and are committed to supporting our foster carers as they provide a safe and caring home.
 
While the wellbeing of children and young people must always be our first concern, we never forget the importance of the child’s natural family, and work towards the best outcomes for children and young people while in care.