More than just foster care

If you have always wanted to become a foster carer and have a passion for improving the lives of young people, we want to hear from you.

For more than 170 years OzChild has been dedicated to supporting children, young people and families who are experiencing significant challenges. The largest provider of evidence-based programs in Australia, OzChild supports more than 10,000 children, young people and family members each year.

We are currently seeking individuals or couples to become treatment foster carers in our internationally proven program, Treatment Foster Care Oregon (TFCO). This program is achieving life-changing outcomes for young people, with graduates successfully maintaining improvement in their behaviours and engagement in education. Across OzChild’s five TFCO teams nationally, 42 children and young people have successfully graduated from the program, reunified with family, or been placed into long-term care.

Overview

• Be part of a transformative short-term treatment foster care team
• Care for a young person in your home aged 12-17 for around six to nine months
• A generous tax-free reimbursement of $65,000 per annum pro rata (only paid whilst you are caring for a young person) reflecting the complexity of the young person you will be caring for, and all living and entertainment expenses for the young person come out of this reimbursement
• Provide positive reinforcement for the young person in a home environment
• Receive comprehensive training and guidance for this highly structured treatment program
• 24/7 on-call support, including daily phone calls and weekly carer support meetings
• On completion of the program, the young person will be reunited with their families or identified long-term foster carers
• Approval process takes between 3-5 months and includes thorough screening processes and assessment interviews

We are looking for individuals / couples who

• Have experience in dealing with children / young people with complex behavioural and emotional difficulties (preferable but not essential)
• Have a suitable living space, including a spare bedroom
• Are willing to follow an exact program of care, be closely supervised and guided by the OzChild team
• Have a good support network
• Are not working in any other capacity (casual work, running your own business etc.) as you must be available full-time to care for a young person in the program. If you are applying as a couple, at least one person must not be working.
• Are willing to learn new parenting skills
• Live up to one hour from our Keswick office
• No children under five years old living in the home

We’re ready to hear from you now!

To apply, click "Apply Now" and make an enquiry via the online form. Our team will contact you and send you more information.

We encourage First Nations People to join us to help care for First Nations children whose families are facing vulnerable times.

At OzChild, keeping First Nations children connected to their families, kin, cultures and country is integral to their health and wellbeing, to enable them to meet their aspirations.