Amplifying the Voice of Foster & Kinship Carers

Our mission is to advocate for the rights, needs and wellbeing of volunteer Foster and Kinship Carers to ensure we recruit, train, retain and support them for the good of our community and to ensure their voices are heard and their rights upheld. Sustaining Carers ensures children in the care system can live in home based care.

Who We Are

The National Foster and Kinship Care Collective formed to ensure that the voices of foster and kinship carers are heard and their rights are upheld, as they care for the ~45,000 children in the system across Australia. As peak / representing bodies, we are the trusted specialists and resource services for home based carers of children through the government care system, including foster carers, kinship carers, guardians and adoptive parents. Our mission is to advocate for the rights, needs and wellbeing of volunteer foster and kinship carers to ensure we recruit, train, retain and support them for the good of our community and to ensure their voices are heard and their rights upheld.

Representatives

The National Foster and Kinship Care Collective (The Collective) is a voluntary group of state and territory foster and kinship care associations, representing Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and Tasmania.
Renée Leigh
Chief Executive Officer
CEO Adopt Change, including Carers for Kids NSW & Chair of National Foster and Kinship Care Collective
Samantha Hague
Chief Executive Officer
Foster Care Association VIC
Bryan Smith
Chief Executive Officer
Queensland Foster and Kinship Care
Fay Alford OAM
Chief Executive Officer
Foster Care Association WA
Amanda Thompson
Chief Executive Officer
Foster and Kinship Carers Association NT
Kim Backhouse
Chief Executive Officer
Foster and Kinship Carers Association Tasmania
Russell Hooper
Chief Executive Officer
Foster Care Association SA

Our Focus Areas

Raising the Status of Australian Foster & Kinship Carers
The recognition, respect, and value of carers by the community and government agencies.
Appropriate Financial Support for Australian Foster & Kinship Carers
Appropriate financial support to cover the costs associated with caring for children and young people.
Wellbeing for Australian Foster & Kinship Carers
Access to sufficient physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing support to manage the demands of caregiving.
High Quality, Consistent, Trauma-Informed Training for all Child Protection Stakeholders.
Access to trauma-informed training for all stakeholders in the child protection system on a regular basis.
Respite Access for Carers
Access to flexible, reliable, and stigma-free access to respite care/part time care for carer families.
Cultural Connectivity opportunities for carers
Access to culturally relevant and supportive environments for children and young people in their care, with access to culturally appropriate education and training.
Disability Access and Support
Streamlined access and availability to disability services and assessments for children and young people in care, prioritising their developmental needs.
Legal services access for carers
Access to high quality, affordable, legal assistance to navigate the child protection system.

2026 National Foster & Kinship Care Conference

31st of July - 2nd of August 2026| QLD

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Countdown finished!
The 2026 National Foster & Kinship Care Conference: Empowering Carers to Transform Lives, will be held in Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort on 31st of July - 2nd of August
The conference will be focused on bringing together foster and kinship carers from across Australia to connect and share, as well as hearing from experts on practical subjects and supports to empower carers on their journey.

UPDATES & NEWS

MAR 2025
Save the Date: for the 2025 National Foster & Kinship Care Conference – Empowering Carers to Transform Lives. This year the conference is being hosted in NSW on 28-30 November and will welcome Foster & Kinship carers from across Australia.
The venue and further details will be revealed soon, including invitations to submit abstracts for consideration.
DEC 2024
Victorian news: Parliamentary Friends of the Foster Care Association of Victoria.
FEB 2025
The National Foster & Kinship Care Collective lodged a Federal Pre-Budget Submission last week, to ensure that supporting the role of carers, and the children in their homes is on the national agenda for budget consideration.
READ MORE
7 NOV 2024
Four of our Collective CEO members representing South Australia, Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales carer representative bodies (as well as our wider national group), spoke together at the National THRIVE Summit at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on 7 November 2024.
READ MORE
JAN 2025
The Collective met in Tasmania this week (and WA joined us online). We spent the day in the office of the Commissioner for Children and Young People and during our day, had a meeting with The Interim Commissioner, Isabelle Crompton.
We're looking forward to sharing more information soon, resulting from our regular meeting of The Collective and to drive change across Australia for carers of children – particularly through foster and kinship care.
#fostercare #kinshipcare #collaboration #socialimpact #childwelfare
OCT 2024
The National Foster and Kinship Care Collective welcomes the establishment of a National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People as a landmark step towards addressing the disproportionate representation of First Nations children in out-of-home care and youth detention nationwide.
This independent body will represent a significant commitment to advancing the voices, rights, and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people and their families, kin and carers.
With a First Nations National Commissioner at the helm, this initiative represents a critical opportunity for meaningful, systemic change, rooted in the strengths and visions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The establishment of the Commission reflects our collective belief that all children should grow up in safe, culturally connected environments where their voices are heard and their futures are empowered. We are encouraged by this powerful step towards creating a more equitable and inclusive system for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.
READ MORE

CONTACT US

Contact info
Get in touch with The Collective via email below, or contact the CEOs via their organisations.
contact@nationalfosterandkinshipcarecollective.com.au
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