Kinship Care

Our kinship carers are people who have a foster child who is either related to them, or who they already know and have an established positive relationship with.

Children and young people are referred to us by the Queensland government, once it is determined they can no longer live safely at home. Before we reach out to our foster carers, the Department will connect with the child's family and community first, to see if there is anyone who the child already knows and trusts who might make a good kinship carer. The Department will then provide us with the details for the potential kinship carer for us to assess. Almost half of our foster children are actually cared for by kinship carers.

It's vital for a child's development that they maintain their cultural and community links - key parts of a child's identity. Children with a strong sense of identity are more likely to develop strong self-esteem, confidence and grow into resilient adults.

Children say that when they’re cared for by relatives they feel: 

• loved and cared about by their family 
• ‘normal’ because they live with their family like everyone else
• more comfortable living with a relative instead of strangers 
• a sense of ongoing connection to family history, stories and shared memories
• a sense of real belonging from being kept together with family and staying connected to culture
• a sense of certainty and security — family will stick by them.