What is long-term foster care?

Long-term foster care provides children with a stable, loving home when they cannot return to their birth family, often until they reach adulthood. It often involves a commitment to care for a child for many years.

Is adoption an option after long-term fostering?

In some cases, adoption may become an option. You can learn more about this on our Foster to Adopt page.

How long does a child stay in long-term foster care?

Children typically remain in long-term foster care until they turn 18, but the exact duration depends on individual circumstances.

Do I get financial support as a long-term foster carer?

Yes, Anglicare provides financial allowances to help cover the child's daily living costs, along with reimbursements for certain approved expenses.

Can I foster if I'm single, renting, or don't have children?

Absolutely. What matters is your ability to provide a safe, supportive and loving home, regardless of your personal situation.

What happens if the child's needs change over time?

Anglicare will work closely with you to reassess and adjust the child's support as needed, ensuring their best interests are always at heart.

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Long-term Foster Care

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Give a child stability, love and the chance to thrive.

Every child needs a home where they feel safe, supported and valued. Long-term foster care provides children in need who are unable to return to their birth family, with the security of a stable, loving home, often until adulthood. Each child's story is unique, but all need steady care and connection to help them heal, grow and build a bright future.

When you become a long-term foster carer with Anglicare, you won't be alone. We'll be beside you every step of the way, offering guidance, training and ongoing support to help you make a lasting difference in a child's life.

Understanding long-term foster care

How it differs from short-term foster care

Long-term foster care focuses on giving children a stable, secure home for an extended period, often until they reach adulthood. Unlike short-term care, where the goal is to reunite children with their birth family or find another permanent option, long-term care focuses on building enduring relationships and offering ongoing emotional support.

Goals and purpose of long-term placement

The heart of long-term foster care is providing children with the safety and belonging they need to thrive. It gives children the chance to grow up in a consistent, loving home where they can form strong bonds and achieve important developmental milestones. With your care, they can build confidence, heal from past trauma, and look ahead to a more hopeful future.

Role of a long-term foster carer

Providing stability and emotional support

As a long-term foster parent, you play a vital role in creating a safe and consistent environment during a young person's childhood and teenage years. Many children have experienced uncertainty and loss, so your patience and trauma-informed care can help them rebuild trust and feel secure. Over time, your steady presence helps them form healthy attachments and build resilience.

Building lasting relationships with the child

Long-term carers have the privilege of shaping a child's future through meaningful, lasting connections. You become their advocate, mentor and trusted adult, supporting their growth in every area of life. These relationships often leave a lifelong impact on both the child and the carer.

Supporting ongoing connection with children's birth families

In long-term foster care, children often maintain meaningful connections with their birth parents and extended family as part of their overall wellbeing and identity. Even when children are unable to live with their birth family, maintaining contact and relationships with parents, siblings and other family members helps children preserve a sense of belonging, understand their life story, and support emotional stability. Long-term foster carers work with the child's case manager and family to support appropriate and safe contact arrangements.

Who can become a long-term foster carer?

Long-term foster carers come from many walks of life. You can be single, married, in a long-term partnership, renting or owning your home. What matters is your ability to provide a safe, loving and stable environment. You need to be over 21, in good health and willing to undergo checks such as working with children clearances and home assessments.
Successful long-term carers show compassion in meeting a child's unique needs, patience to walk with them through challenges and milestones, and resilience to remain steady during both joyful and difficult moments. Empathy, a willingness to learn and a genuine commitment to making a lasting difference in a child's life are vital.

How Anglicare supports long-term carers

Ongoing training and professional development

We offer pre-placement and ongoing training so you feel confident and equipped. Our training programs cover trauma-informed care, child development, and specialised topics relevant to long-term care.

Financial assistance and allowances

Anglicare provides financial allowances to help cover the cost of a child's day-to-day needs. We also may offer reimbursements for certain additional expenses, helping you focus on providing care without financial stress.

Dedicated support and crisis resources

You'll have a dedicated caseworker to guide and support you, plus access to 24/7 assistance if challenges arise. Peer support networks also help you connect with others who share your journey.

Explore the support through Anglicare

Start your journey to becoming a long-term foster carer

Becoming a long-term foster carer starts with a simple enquiry. From there, Anglicare's team will guide you through the steps, including information sessions, training, checks, and approvals.

FAQs about long-term Foster Care

Anglicare acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the original and ongoing custodians of the lands and waters on which we live and work.

Inspired by the gospel of reconciliation in Jesus Christ, Anglicare's vision for reconciliation is a nation in which Australia's First Peoples are restored in dignity, respect, empowerment and opportunity.