Who are Galilee Foster Carers?
Foster carers have a love for children, a stable and flexible family environment, available time, space at home,
and a commitment to the task.
Galilee needs families who can offer a home to one or more children or young persons where they will feel loved, accepted and safe.
Galilee foster carers are:
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people willing to share their lives with children and young people
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living in the Canberra region
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from a variety of cultural and religious backgrounds
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single, couples, and/or families • committed to providing a stable, supportive and nurturing home
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from all adult age groups
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not necessarily living in a large house or home owners, but have sufficient space to provide a bedroom for the children, and
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people with or without children.
Why the need for care?
Many of these children have come from difficult circumstances, especially leading up to being placed in foster care. They may have experienced:
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multiple separations from their natural family
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abuse
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neglect
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ongoing emotional crises, and
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instability
They may display a range of behaviors and have different responses to the foster care experience.
Becoming a foster carer
Babies, children and young people are urgently in need of people to train as foster carers and provide a home filled with love, acceptance and nurturing. Foster care can be for a weekend, a few weeks or a lifetime.
The process to becoming a foster carer is rigorous, with potential carers going through screenings, interviews and completing the course Positive Futures caring Together, part of : Certificate IV in Community Services
(Protective Care).
The following diagram outlines the step by step process of becoming a foster carer. The process takes approximately six months in which time carers will be given all the tools and resources they need to begin care.
Training Courses
Foster carer training – Positive Futures Caring Together
As part of becoming a foster carer, you will complete the nationally accredited training program. It is delivered jointly by Galilee and the Office for Children, Youth and Family Support and provides essential knowledge and skills that will assist carers in their parenting role.
How Galilee supports foster carers
Families who become foster carers with Galilee can expect the full support of our case managers, including;
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Support and advice from our experienced team
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Access to emergency assistance 24 hours a day
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Free training
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Careful matching of children to carer families
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Regular follow-up contact and practical assistance
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An allowance to help with costs
My son brought home a newsletter from school with information about becoming a foster carer with Galilee. He asked if we could give it a go. My wife and I had brought up our family with the eldest completing Year 12 and soon to head off to university. The house was beginning to feel empty, so we decided to fill it up again. We’ve never regretted our decision. |
We’ve had the pleasure of fostering a sibling group for the past twelve months. It’s been so rewarding for both the children and our family. Keeping the children together helps to maintain the strong family bond between them and has made it easier for them to settle into our home. |
About Family Placement Scheme
The Galilee Family Placement Scheme (FPS) facilitates the placement of babies, children and young people with foster care families in the Canberra region.
Children are referred to Galilee by the ACT Office for Children, Youth and Family Support (OCYFS) because their families temporarily or permanently are not able to care
for them.
Children may be in foster care for a few days, a few months, or long term. Wherever possible, FPS aims to restore children to the care of their families, however some children remain in care until they reach independence.
The FPS team consists of case workers, carer recruitment officers and trainers.
Foster care myths
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Love is enough
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Children need to forget their past to have a future
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Treat them as your own
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Foster children will be grateful
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Foster children will change to fit into our family
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Foster children will stay in our family
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Foster children need rescuing
Foster care realities
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Fostering is HARD work. It takes more than love
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Children can only move forward when their past
is acknowledged -
Foster children have their own birth families who are important to them
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Foster children have had difficult experiences that may be expressed in aggression or mixed feelings
I wanted to become a foster carer because I believe that their [the children] care is very important to our future. I admit that I did have some doubts. I was worried about whether my ‘best’ would be enough to make the child comfortable. When I met Ryan (not his real name) he had been with a lot of different foster carers. He fit in perfectly with our family, and when he left, he said: ‘This hasn’t been like the others. This is more like a home.’
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Downloads
Contact
Family Placement Scheme
Phone: 02 6290 2191
Fax: 02 6290 2512
Email: fps@galilee.org.au
Physical address
Building 3
Pearce Community Centre
Collett Place
Pearce ACT 2607
Postal address
PO Box 205
Mawson ACT 2607