ABOVE: Carers, board and staff at the launch of the new FCAV Ambassadors in June 

FCAV Newsletter

The Foster Care Association of Victoria is the peak body for Victorian foster carers, associate members, sector colleagues and supporters. The FCAV provides information, support and advocacy to carers and the sector to support carers in their vital role in the lives of children and young people in care. 

BOOK NOW to reserve your place at the FCAV Foster Care Week Carer Celebration 2024 as places fill fast!  

We are very excited to be heading back to the Hotel Windsor this year and cordially invite carer members as our guests of honour to enjoy a sit down lunch in the company of other carers, sector colleagues and staff.

Date and time
Friday, September 13 · 11:30am - 1:30pm 

Location
The Hotel Windsor, 111 Spring Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000

Make a nomination!

The annual FCAV Commitment to Supporting Carers Awards are now open for carers to nominate an agency worker or member of your care team who has provided exceptional support to you and the children in your care.  

Instances of great carer support by agency case managers and their colleagues are golden in a complex system. These can make or break a positive placement for foster carers and the children and young people in their homes. Each year, the FCAV gives carers the opportunity to nominate a case manager or other foster care agency staff for outstanding placement and carer support. Shortlisted nominations will be announced prior to Foster Care Week with the winning workers announced at our 2024 AGM and Carer Celebration on the 13^th of September 2024. (See above) 

Submissions are open now and close at 5pm on the 30^{th of} August 2024. All nominating carers will go into a draw to be randomly selected to win one of three $50 vouchers just for nominating! 

Announcing the launch of FCAV's Carer Ambassadors! 

We are thrilled to welcome Michael and Fiona te Wierik to the role of Ambassador with the FCAV. Ambassadors play a crucial role in any organisation, especially not for profits working hard to make an impact in a deprived sector. Fiona and Michael te Wierik exemplify the tenacity and drive needed to be heard in a challenging role on behalf of the most vulnerable members of our society - children and young people in out of home care. Their lived experience as foster carers and as experienced representatives, gives Fiona and Mike a unique perspective and skills-set that will resonate with both our foster care community and the broader public.

"As Ambassadors for FCAV we will act as representatives of all foster carers in Victoria. We will help carers and the FCAV to bring issues that are most important to carers, to the forefront of discussion." Fiona and Mike

Fiona and Mike welcome your emails to share experiences and suggestions for broader foster care advocacy. Mike and Fiona will respond as soon as they are able and, in their busy lives, ask for your patience. Our Ambassadors do not provide specific advice on issues related to placements. If you require particular support regarding your foster care role, please contact the FCAV Carer Advocates.

Read more about what our Ambassadors have been, and will be doing, to support and advocate for carers through the FCAV.

Chat with the CEO Session Invitation

Chat with the CEO events have been very successful with many carers attending which provides an excellent opportunity to discuss challenges, tips and issues amongst carers and offer valuable peer support. Carer feedback has indicated that many carers are only able to attend an evening session online, so we hope to see you at the next session scheduled for: 

Thursday 22nd August 2024 
7:00 - 8:30pm

RSVP to: Deb Collard at d.collard@fcav.org.au to register to attend. Please include your full name, title, email, phone and your agency/ACCO. 

The FCAV is pleased to present the findings from the 2024 carer census. Thank you to every member who took the time to participate by completing the survey. Over 750 respondents participated in the census.  This excellent response rate allows us to better understand and advocate to address the unique challenges and requirements of foster carers in Victoria.

As we navigate the complexities of providing care for children in Victoria, the insights gained from this census will inform both FCAV service delivery and advocacy. This includes advice on improvements to the services, resources and respect that carers can expect to be provided within the home-based care system.

Along with demographic data about the diverse pool of carers in Victoria, the census also provides attitudinal data, informing relational and wellbeing aspects of the carer experience within the home-based care services of their Agency, the Department and Child Protection.

FCAV Carer Snapshot 2024

The Foster Care Association of Victoria (FCAV) conducts an annual review of foster carer households in Victoria to keep track of trends of foster carers entering, remaining, and exiting the system. This year the FCAV has gathered data from all Community Service Organisations (CSOs) and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) running a foster care program across Victoria, each of which has provided us with information based on the households affiliated with all of its offices.

The data for the March 2024 Foster Carer Snapshot Report indicates a further decline of active carer households in Victoria, with a loss of 93 carer households compared to last year. The full Snapshot report is now available for more detail.

ABOVE: Hudson leading the group through the gardens during NAIDOC Week

The FCAV celebrated #NAIDOC Week with carers on a Bushfood Walking Tour at Cranbourne Royal Botanic Gardens, hosted by Hudson Fraser. Hudson, a Torres Strait Island man and qualified Horticulturalist with a wealth of experience in indigenous plants. These beautiful gardens are full of bushfood and significant plantings which Hudson talked us through....

• You can eat the bud of the pig face succulent flower and the leaves contain water that you can squeeze out and drink.
• Possum fur is like polar bear fur and provides exceptional insulation. People wrap newborn babies in a possum skin that is the start of their own possum skin cloak made over a lifetime and the underside is inscribed with images of their favourite foods, places - totems displaying their life story.
• It is very hard to create a ‘come back’ boomerang. Most boomerangs are designed for hunting, to be thrown at the target causing damage so you don’t want them coming back to you!
• There are several edible plants in the gardens, including a native wasabi and mint plant and Lomandra used for weaving and making flour for damper.

Happy NAIDOC Week until next year! #KEEP THE FIRE BURNING! BLAK, LOUD and PROUD

The FCAV continues to advocate for systemic changes to carer conditions across several areas which carers have identified as negatively affecting carer moral, retention and recruitment. Key areas of focus include:

Care Support Help Desk
The DFFH Care Support Help Desk is an initiative that was developed by the FCAV in 2021 because of the extensive delay in getting essential documents such as birth certificates, Medicare numbers and other placement supports such as immunisation records. The Help Desk was funded for an initial two-year period in the 2022/23 Budget and can be directly accessed by carers or Agencies. The Help Desk has been extremely successful.
Carers report high levels of satisfaction with the improved service delivery enabled by the establishment of the Help Desk service. Following FCAV advocacy as part of the development of the 2024/25 Victorian Budget, the Care Help Desk has now become a permanent service offering.

Passports
The FCAV advocated for an expansion of the Care Help Desk to include support and advice for passport applications. The demand for passports has increased since the end of COVID because carers want to travel to visit family, friends or have a holiday. Passport applications are complex and time consuming because of stringent identity and documentary requirements and carers report they can take years to process. Carers also report that Agency and Child Protection staff often lack the skill and expertise to complete passport applications in a timely manner and application supports and training are required to improve service delivery.

Care Allowance
Victoria has the lowest Level 1 Care Allowance of any state in Australia. (See Care Allowance Campaign update below).

The FCAV also advocated for annual indexation of the Care Allowance in line with household inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index. In the last two financial years the Care Allowance has only been indexed annually by around 2% which means that it has fallen substantially in real value.

Medicare Dental

The FCAV provided a submission to the fifth review of the Dental Benefits Act 2008 advocating that all children in care be automatically eligible for Medicare Dental. Children in care generally have poorer oral health than children in the general population and currently access to Medicare Dental is means tested on a carer’s income.

The Federal Department of Health and Ageing is currently implementing the recommendation and has established the Dental Clinical Advisory Committee to manage the implementation process. The FCAV met with the Department to discuss how the implementation of this recommendation will be progressed with an expected finalisation in 2025.

Regular meetings with Minister’s Office
The FACV has established regular quarterly meetings with the Minister’s office to advocate for carers on priority issues including:

• Care Allowance payments and indexation
• Care Help Desk funding
• Passports
• Medicare Dental
• Systemic reform agenda for 2024

Services Australia
The FCAV has met with Services Australia to discuss the operation of the Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Adviser line (GFKAL). Services Australia advised that one of the biggest issues it encountered with carers was difficulties accessing the Child Care Subsidy (CCS). Several of those cases involved the over payment of the CCS and subsequent recovery action from the carer because they had initiated the CCS application and consequently were personally liable. Following the meeting, GFKAL have assisted a number of carers referred to it from the FCAV.

Care Allowance Campaign Update

Over 2,550 signatories have signed and submitted heartfelt statements to support Victorian Kinship, Foster and Permanent carers and the children in their care, who deserve to be financially supported at least as well as carers in other states. The Care Allowance Campaign has received recent media attention including the analysis linking FCAV's Victorian attrition data with support and funding barriers for carers.

Victoria has the lowest Level 1 Care Allowance in Australia.
See latest state by state comparison tables here.

Big LEGO Drive!

Thanks to our sponsors, LEGO via Goods360, the FCAV are running a LEGO drive giveaway for foster families! We have the following LEGO sets to giveaway to foster carers for the children & young people in their care.

• Duplo Life at the Nursery 2+
• Disney Princess 6+
• Disney Little Mermaid 6+
• Jurassic Park Triceratops Research 8+
• Super Mario Donkey Kong Treehouse 8+
• Harry Potter Slytherin House Banner 9+

To be in to WIN! Please email competition@fcav.org.au with the subject header ‘LEGO’, please include your name, postal address, Agency and tell us what set would be suitable for your foster family. Good luck!

The Carer Support Team (CST) at FCAV is available to every accredited foster carer in Victoria regardless of agency or the court order made for the children and young people in your care. The CST assists carers by listening to concerns and issues and helping guide and navigate access to appropriate services to best meet your needs and the needs of the children in your care.

The Carer Assistance Program (CAP) this year celebrated commitment from the DFFH for ongoing funding and will be an integrated model within care services at the FCAV. This will enhance coordination and availability of service provision to our carers.  

Program feedback has been excellent, with carers expressing gratitude for the ease of the referral and appointment process, the kindness of staff who facilitate the referrals and appointments, as well as the support by those providing the service.  

“Tonya was an amazing support for me.  She has a very gentle approach and brings out complex issues to the surface very effectively in a non intrusive manner.” 

“Jake is a wonderful knowledgeable support and without his insight and help I would not be where I am today -  Thankyou so much.” 

“Thank you for this service. Jake has been a lifesaver. He's very understanding of our position. He validated my feelings which made things a little easier. Thank you again.” 

“Tonya is great and easy to communicate with.” 

Recently, the Carer Assistance Program held Therapeutic Group sessions for eligible carers across foster and permanent carers and adoptive families. These sessions provided reflective spaces for carers to discuss their experiences, addressing common challenges such as; 

• navigating complex behaviours in young people, 
• balancing multiple family needs,  
• prioritising self-care and learning to have self-compassion  

Feedback highlighted the importance of sharing experiences as well as opportunities for carers to connect with each other.  

The Carer Assistance Program (CAP) continues to offer individual therapeutic sessions that significantly enhance the capacity of carers to provide effective and compassionate care.  

These sessions help carers manage the stress within their daily lives, reduce feelings of burnout. The therapeutic space provides crucial avenues for; 

• support
• guidance
• coping strategies  
• safe space to debrief about challenging topics – such as CIMS investigations
• considerations of relinquishment
• personal mental health challenges
• and support through grief and loss

Your wellbeing matters.

If you are a foster carer, permanent carer or adoptive family experiencing challenges during your carer journey, you can access free support through the Carer Assistance Program (CAP).

Call 9416 4292 or self-refer below.

Watch this short video to find out more about the Carer Assistance Program 

Discounted Public Transport for carers

With a Victorian Carer Card ('We Care' card) issued by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH), you are eligible for a Carer coded myki, which gives you 50 per cent discount on travel during a weekday and free weekend travel in any two consecutive zones.

Cardholders who live in Victoria also have access to two or four free off-peak travel vouchers per year (depending on where you live). You'll need to register to receive these.Off-peak travel vouchers can be redeemed for travel on:

• metropolitan services at any time
• regional services at any time, if the journey does not enter or leave Melbourne
• regional services that enter or leave Melbourne on weekends or public holidays
• regional services that enter or leave Melbourne between 9am–4pm on weekdays
• regional services that enter or leave Melbourne after 6pm on weekdays

To find out more about the Victorian Carer Card ('We Care' card), visit the Carer Card website. 

CIMS Webinar

In Early July, the FCAV hosted a webinar on The Client Incident Management System (CIMS) is the investigation process/system for assessing quality of care complaints against carers that are made as a consequence of their caring responsibilities. Carers often raise concerns about key aspects of the process including long investigation delays, lack of information about allegations and denial of natural justice.  

Our guest speakers include Christopher Craig, Manager Systems and Data Reporting, Mackillop and Leigh Hillman, Carer Advocate, FCAV. Deb Collard, Carer Advocate and Learning & Development Coordinator lead the discussion.  

The webinar provides comprehensive information about the CIMS process. 
Topics include: 

• Who is involved in the investigation 
• The difference between a non-major and major incident 
• How to manage the stress of the investigation 
• How to prepare for the CIMS interview 
• Who is involved in conducting the interview 
• Managing the outcome  
• Exploring review processes 
• Other systems that this could progress to such as The Suitability Panel  

As the FCAV Roadshow continues, Tessa Hughes, Carer Support Team Manager, visited MacKillop Family Services Preston office this month. The Home-Based Care team valued the opportunity to hear about the services offered at FCAV and were delighted to hear about the additional and ongoing funding for the CAP program. They have received very positive feedback from carers who have accessed the service. Additionally they commented on how helpful the Care Support Helpdesk has been for carers. The Roadshow allows FCAV to pass on information about the services and supports offered including the role of carer advocates, and hear about local issues that arise for teams in supporting carers. The FCAV aims to continue the Roadshow across the state in the coming year. 

VACCA visit

Damien Murray, a Yorta Yorta man working at VACCA, visited the FCAV team in early June with his colleague Brooke Ponter, an Marranunggu/Amajitere woman from the Tiwi Islands.

Damien’s story was both poignant and powerful. Growing up in adoption in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, he faced racism from a young age. He found solace in learning to dance, a passion that supported him during many challenges. Damien also spoke about the the importance of key individuals who offered him support and guidance throughout his childhood and adolescence and as he took on the personal, painful and lengthy journey to find his biological mother and father.

These experiences shaped Damien's advocacy for Cultural Support Plans for Aboriginal children in out-of-home care. Drawing from his own journey, he is determined that no Aboriginal child should have to endure the same struggles in seeking their cultural connection to family and identity. His lived experience drives his commitment to ensuring that every Aboriginal child has the support they need to maintain their cultural heritage. Damien is responsible for the development of northern regional Cultural Support Plans and shared VACCA Northern’s successes in relation to plans completed and implemented.  We thank VACCA, Damien and Brooke for sharing the importance and outcomes of this work, with the team.

• Care Support Help Desk - Find your regional help desk
• The 2024 FCAV Carer Snapshot
• The FCAV Annual Report 2023
• Victorian Handbook for Foster Carers
• Care Allowances for 2023-24
• Carer Strategy – Strong Carers, Stronger Children
• Carer Card - information on obtaining a carer card
• Deadly Story - Aboriginal Culture, Country and Community portal
• Foster Care Connect - An online community of foster carers, sharing resources and support
• Foster Dreamz - free extra-curricular activities for children and young people in care
• Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Adviser line - Commonwealth Supports
• LOOKOUT Centres - Early childhood learning, primary and secondary education supports
• Becoming a foster carer Fostering Connections
• Kinship Carers -  Refer to KCV or DFFH Kinship Support Teams - 1800 319 507
• Permanent Carers - Refer to PCAF
• Association for Children with a Disability - Children with disability, their carers and families
• Adoption enquiries - Refer to the Department of Justice
• Access Keys^TM is a FREE resource developed by AccessAbilityAustralia

Care Support Help Desk at DFFH

The Care Support Help Desk team is available during business hours to support new carers by making sure children and young people entering care have the critical documentation they need. The team will also help existing carers obtain vital documents for children in care, including Medicare details and birth certificates. See more information on the DFFH website.

Carer Kafe Learning and Development Opportunities

Carer Kafe is funded to provide learning and development opportunities to kinship, permanent and accredited foster carers across Victoria. Sign up to their mailing list via the home page or follow the Facebook page to keep up to date on sessions, events and online resources available.

Upcoming Learning and Development Opportunities

• Carers are welcome to join any or all of our monthly yarning space sessions online from July – November from 8.00pm – 9.30pm. Topics vary each month and focus on caring for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people and developing deeper understandings of their cultures.
• Caring for Young People who Self-Harm will explore why it happens and what carers can do about it online on Monday 5 August from 7.00pm – 9.00pm.
• Join the navigating compassion fatigue for carers session online to learn coping strategies on Wednesday 7 August from 10.00am – 11.30am.
• Embark on Nikara’s Journey, a two-day training program following an Aboriginal child and her foster parents as they learn how to provide the right support across various dates from August – November online from 9.30am – 3.30pm and in Dandenong from Wednesday 2 October – Thursday 3 October.

To register and explore options for both online and face-to-face sessions currently on offer for carers, visit https://carerkafe.org.au/training

Carer Kafe Retreat  - June 2024

The FCAV was pleased to be invited to deliver a session on Carer Tips at the Carer Kafe weekend retreat for Kinship, Permanent and Foster Carers from 22 - 23 June at the Yarra Valley Lodge in Chirnside Park.   

The purpose of the Carer Tips session is to have a space for carers to raise issues and ask questions in relation to foster care specific issues.  There were over twenty foster carers participating in the session and several key issues were raised:   

• Cost of Caring: Carers highlighted the financial strain involved in providing care.  
• Childcare Allowance: Issues regarding the adequacy and accessibility of childcare allowances.  
• System Navigation: Difficulties in navigating the complex foster care system.  
• Agency Responsiveness: Concerns over the lack of responsiveness from both agencies and the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing Services (DFFH).  
• Children's Complex Needs: Challenges in caring for children with complex needs who are on NDIS plans.  

One carer in the group described the Mockingbird Model that is being piloted in her region. She discussed how the model works and the tasks and roles she completes to support other foster carers.  

It was a great opportunity for us at FCAV to inform carers of upcoming events at FCAV and promote the open invitation to all carers to attend the Chat with CEO sessions and the webinar on CIMS investigations. It was also a good forum to hear directly from carers about the format and timing that suits them best for such opportunities. Some of the carers in the room requested that sessions be offered in evenings and recorded, due to their working lives which is feedback we use as we seek to accommodate carer requests for more flexible sessions and advocate about access arrangements as part of our planning for future events.  Read more here.

CREATE Foundation is the national consumer body representing the voices of children and young people with an out-of-home care experience. CREATE's vision is that all children and young people with a care experience reach their full potential. All young people with a care experience are invited to join. Share these opportunities with young people in your care.

clubCREATE: The starter point for Young People to get involved with CREATE, learn about events and opportunities coming up in VIC (to sign up, scroll down the page and you’ll see a blue button that says Join clubCREATE).

Connection events: A chance for Young People to get to know CREATE, other Young People, and enjoy some fun time with their carers in a relaxed and fun atmosphere.  Previous events have been held at Geelong Adventure Park and Melbourne Zoo.  

Youth Advisory Groups (YAG): These programs offer an opportunity for young people to come together to talk about issues that are important to them in this moment.  The YAG is usually coupled with a free lunch and fun activity.  The discussions in these groups directly inform CREATE’s advocacy going forward.

Speak Up: A three-level youth empowerment program which leads young people to becoming CREATE Young Consultants.  Being a Young Consultant provides the opportunity to deliver trainings to new workers, discuss issues and advocate for change with key decision-makers, facilitate programs for other young people, and much more! If interested, a young person can register their interest for future workshops here: https://forms.office.com/r/G5bt13Qn1J

Association for Children with a Disability

Getting Support at School for your child with disability: What you need to know. If you have a school-age child with disability then don’t miss this FREE online workshop, Getting Support at School!

Join our friends at ACD for this popular workshop that will build your confidence and help you better understand the supports available at school. You will take a detailed look into how school processes work and gain information on how plans can help your child.

Topics include:

• Individual Education Plans
• Behaviour Support Plans
• Reasonable adjustments
• Understanding school processes and plans

Workshop dates:

• Monday 12 August 7:00 pm
• Tuesday 13 August 10:00 am
• Wednesday 14 August 10:00 am
• Monday 19 August 10:00 am
• Tuesday 20 August 10:00 am

All workshops are led by professional facilitators who are parents of children with disability and have personal experience of advocating for their child at school. Places are limited for this FREE workshop.