A Practical Guide to Fostering Pre-Teens
2022-12-14
Regardless if you are a long-term or short-term carer, by fostering young people you have the ability to influence the person they will grow into, and the young adult they will become.
News
Foster Care 101 for First Nations Children
2022-10-11
The number of First Nations (Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander) children coming into contact with the child protection system is increasing at a much faster rate than the recruitment of First Nations foster carers.
The Need for Foster Care
2022-09-15
Unfortunately, 4,724 children in South Australia live ‘In Care’. That means they are living away from their biological parents, and the Government organises for them to go into foster care, kinship care, or an alternative temporary arrangement.
Family reunification and saying goodbye
2022-08-19
Foster carers play a vital role in ensuring children have a place to feel safe and secure when they cannot live at home with their families. At Centacare, reunifying families is our priority where it is in the child’s best interest. Saying goodbye can be challenging for carers and children, but we are here to support everyone through the process.
The foster family village – keeping siblings together
2021-11-08
Sadly, siblings are often separated when they enter the foster care system due to a lack of carers who can take groups of siblings. At Centacare, we know how important it is to keep siblings together, but we also know it is not always possible. So, we have developed the Village Concept to keep siblings as close as possible, even if not in the same home.
Different ways to care
2021-10-14
Did you know that there are several different types of foster care? Foster Carers come in all different shapes and sizes and provide various types of general or specialist care. Becoming a foster carer is a life-changing experience, whichever way you choose.
Meet the faces in our circle of care
2021-03-02
As part of our latest recruitment campaign, we held an exhibition to debut characters to provide insights into why children come into care, what motivates people from the community to become carers and the different care dynamics. With the help of Quisk Design, we developed seventeen fictitious characters to help tell a range of stories about foster care.
Circle of care exhibition to open in Adelaide
2021-02-25
We’re excited to announce our upcoming Circle of Care exhibition in Adelaide. The exhibition highlights themes in foster care, through the eyes of seventeen different illustrated characters, including children, carers and even a pet dog. The exhibition will open on Monday 1st March 2020 at the Department for Child Protection gallery in Flinders Street, Adelaide.
Growing demand for foster families for primary school aged children
Many South Australian children are missing out on the opportunity to thrive and meet developmental milestones due to a lack of foster carers. Over half the children waiting for foster care homes in the state are aged between five and nine. Read more about how rewarding it can be to foster children in this age group.
Little things matter most to Lyn and Roy
2021-02-22
Lyn and Ron have fostered twenty children over thirteen years, as reunification foster carers for Centacare. They have learned a lot since their first foster child and found their foster caring experience both rewarding and enriching. Read more about Lyn and Ron’s foster caring journey.
Foster carers strong in culture
Meet Bindee and Karen. They are helping indigenous foster children remain connected to culture. Over half the children in the Centacare Foster Care program are Aboriginal. Understanding their cultural heritage is integral to develop a sense of belonging and identity. Read more about the Bindee and Karen’s inspiring story here.
Creativity connecting children and families amid COVID-19
The coronavirus pandemic has been tough for foster children and young people, limiting their interactions with their birth families. However, through the creative use of technology, foster carers have facilitated virtual interactions between birth families and their children. Read more about how this innovative response positively impacts foster children, their parents, and foster carers here.
Photovoice puts foster care in focus
Centacare Foster Care is pleased to host the Photovoice exhibition, giving foster carers a creative voice. Facilitated by Master of Social Work student Sid Wagle, foster carers were invited to express their caring journey through a visual means, photos. The collection is on display at Centacare, Seaton. Read more about the project here.
Marianne has a family focus
Marianne is following in her parents’ footsteps as a foster carer. She is a Specialist Short Term Reunification Carer with Centacare. Her primary aim and motivation is to see the children she cares for return home to their birth families. Read more about her foster caring journey here.
Busting common myths about foster care
Today we’re busting some common myths about foster care. There are many misconceptions about foster care, from a carers age or relationship status to the age of the children who need care and how long they need it for. Keep reading to sort foster care fact from fiction!
Breaking the age barrier
Children and young people of all ages need a safe place to live. Many foster carers choose to care for babies and infants, making finding safe homes for school-aged children challenging. However, fostering a child aged between twelve and seventeen offers many rewarding experiences and is less physically demanding than caring for a baby or infant. Read more about being a foster carer for a teenager here.
