Understanding Foster Care in Victoria
Foster care plays a crucial role in providing safe and nurturing environments for children and young people who are unable to live with their birth families. As a foster carer, you could offer stability, support, and love to children during challenging times in their lives.
- In Australia, there are 46,000 children and young people in foster care.
- 14,000 of these children and young people are in Victoria.
- The number of children in out-of-home care has increased by 14 per cent in Victoria since 2018.
- Lighthouse is in urgent need of foster carers in the Northern & Southern regions of Melbourne.
By becoming a foster carer in Melbourne, you’re not only giving back to your community, but you’re also providing a young person with the chance to feel safe, loved and supported to grow.
Lighthouse Supports Your Journey to Become a Foster Carer
We understand the foster care journey is not always easy, so our Foster Care team ensures that you have the right supports around you to navigate challenges, celebrate successes, and provide the best possible support to the children entrusted in your care. From ongoing training and guidance to access to counselling services and a community of support, Lighthouse Foundation is committed to standing by your side every step of the way, ensuring that you never have to face the journey alone. We care for you, so you can care for them.
Our unique model works by uniting foster carers around a central ‘Hub Home’ where trained therapeutic carers offer regular respite, sleepovers, access to trauma informed support and advice to the entire foster family.
Hear from Emma Gniel, Manager of Children Services at Lighthouse Foundation, on all things fostering in the interview below:
If you’d like to hear more or speak to one of our friendly team members, fill out an enquiry form, or head to our Foster Care page: https://www.lighthousefoundation.org.au/foster-care/
