Foster Care FAQs

Yes. Foster carers can be single or in a relationship.

What matters most is your capacity to provide a safe, stable and supportive home for a child or young person. Many single carers provide wonderful care and build strong, nurturing relationships with children in foster care.

Yes, many of our foster carers work part-time or full-time.

Some children, particularly younger children or those with higher support needs, may require a carer to be available more often. Other situations can fit well around work commitments. At CatholicCare, we take your availability and lifestyle into account and carefully match placements to suit both you and the child or young person.

Absolutely.

Some carers have their own children, while others bring experience through work, volunteering, caring for family members, or simply through life experience. You don’t need to be a parent to become a foster carer. What matters is your willingness to learn, your capacity to care, and your openness to ongoing support and training.

Yes. You can be renting or own your home.

Children and young people in care need a safe and stable living environment. They must have their own bedroom, or where appropriate, be able to share with a sibling. We’ll talk with you about your housing situation as part of the assessment process.

Foster care is a team effort, and carers are never expected to do this alone.

As a foster carer with CatholicCare, you’ll receive:

• Ongoing training and learning opportunities
• After-hours crisis support
• A dedicated case manager and regular home visits
• Access to behaviour support specialists when needed
• Financial support, including a fortnightly tax‑free care allowance to help cover day‑to‑day costs
• Respite opportunities
• Opportunities to connect with other foster carers through support groups, events and shared experiences

Support is built into every stage of the fostering journey.

Yes.

Fostering can be deeply rewarding, but it can also be challenging at times, especially when caring for children who have experienced trauma. Our team works closely with carers to provide guidance, practical support and reassurance when challenges arise.

CatholicCare has a long history of supporting children, families and carers across the Illawarra, Shoalhaven, Macarthur and Southern Highlands.

We focus on:

• Strong relationships with carers
• Trauma‑informed, child‑centred practice
• Ongoing support, not just assessment
• Working collaboratively with families and communities
• Walking alongside carers throughout their fostering journey

Our role is to support you, so you can support a child.

It’s natural to form strong bonds with children in your care, and goodbyes can be emotional.

We support carers through transitions and help children move on in ways that are safe and considered. While it can be challenging, many carers speak of the rewards knowing that providing care, stability and support at a critical time makes a lasting difference in a child’s life.

Yes.

Matching is a careful and collaborative process. We take your experience, preferences, availability and family circumstances into account. You’ll be given information about a placement and can ask questions before deciding whether it’s the right fit for your household.

No.

You don’t need to be Catholic or religious to become a foster carer with CatholicCare. We welcome carers from all backgrounds and focus on providing inclusive, respectful support to children and families from diverse cultures and beliefs.

Maintaining a child’s cultural identity, family connections and sense of belonging is very important.

Carers are supported to help children stay connected to their culture, community and family wherever possible, in line with each child’s care plan.

Foster carers receive a fortnightly tax‑free care allowance to help cover the day‑to‑day costs of caring for a child or young person.

This allowance is not a salary, but a contribution towards expenses such as food, clothing, school needs and activities. Additional supports may be available depending on the child’s needs.

That’s completely okay; most people do.

If you’d like to talk things through or ask a question that isn’t covered here, please get in touch.