What Types of Care Are Available?
There are different ways to foster, depending on your time, experience and what feels right for you and your family.
Every child in care has different needs. Some need a safe place for a few nights, others a stable home for years to come. The different types of foster care reflect that, giving you the flexibility to find a role that fits your life while making a real difference in a child’s.
Emergency Care
- Best for: People who can respond quickly and offer short-term support
- Time commitment: A few days to a few weeks
- What it involves: Supporting children at short notice during times of immediate need
- Good to know: Often includes after-hours or weekend care
Short-Term Care
- Best for: Carers who can offer a stable home for weeks to a couple of years
- Time commitment: A few weeks to two years
- What it involves: Caring for a child until they can be safely restored to their family or a permanent home is found
- Good to know: Often involves supporting connection with birth family
Respite Care
- Best for: People who want to make a meaningful contribution alongside work or family commitments
- Time commitment: Weekends, school holidays, or as needed
- What it involves: Giving other carers a planned break by caring for a child for short periods
- Good to know: A great way to start fostering and build confidence over time
Long-Term Care
- Best for: Carers ready to provide stability and connection for years
- Time commitment: Years, often through to adulthood
- What it involves: Parenting a child who can’t return to live with their family, providing ongoing stability and belonging
- Good to know: Birth family connection is usually maintained
Guardianship
- Best for: Relatives, kinship carers or foster carers ready to make a long-term legal commitment
- Time commitment: Long-term
- What it involves: Becoming a child’s legal guardian through a Children’s Court order, offering permanency while maintaining family ties
- Good to know: Often follows a period of foster care with the same child
Open Adoption
- Best for: Carers ready to take on lifelong legal parental responsibility
- Time commitment: Lifelong
- What it involves: Becoming a child’s legal parent when returning home isn’t an option, while supporting connection with birth family and siblings
- Good to know: Provides the strongest sense of permanency and belonging
Not sure what type of care is right for you?
There are many ways to foster, and no two caring journeys look the same. Some carers may begin by offering short-term or respite care, while others feel ready to provide longer-term stability.
If you’re unsure which type of care might suit you, that’s okay. Many people work this out over time with the support of our team.