Key information
- The Carer Reference Guide is for foster and formal kinship carers.
- The Guide provides information about decisions carers can make and those that must be made by the Child Safety Service.
- It is not intended to be a full list of all decisions carers can make. For more detailed information, please refer to the Foster and Kinship Carers Association (FKAT) handbook which can be found on the FKAT website under resources.
Introduction
This Guide provides information about decisions you can make for children and young people in your care, and which decisions must be made by the Child Safety Service. This Guide is for foster carers and formal kinship carers.
We acknowledge all carers in Tasmania for their important role and how much they contribute to the lives of children and young people they care for. We are all committed to improving wellbeing outcomes for children and young people in Out of Home Care.
Children and young people in Out of Home Care routinely participate in activities, interact socially with friends and connect with family, community and culture.
We have heard from children and young people that long approval processes can make them feel uncertain, frustrated, different to others, and to sometimes miss out.
This is some of what we heard:
“I lost contact with my Pop, Brother and Nan, it took me three years to get permission to see them again and stay at Pop’s”.
“I almost didn’t go on school camp because I couldn’t get the consent form done in time. It was really frustrating”.
“Every time my carers went on holiday, or went to stay in a hotel, I would need permission. It would take months to do”.
“If the carers have been trained and have care of us, they should be given responsibility to make decisions about whether a holiday is appropriate”.
Purpose
This Guide provides information about decisions you can make for children and young people in your care, and which decisions must be made by the Child Safety Service. The topics covered in this Guide are intended for children and young people in foster and formal kinship care and are based on key frustrations we heard from children and young people.
- It is not intended to be a full list of every decision you can make. Please refer to the Foster and Kinship Carers Association Handbook for more detailed information.
- You must ensure that the type of Order for the child or young person in your care allows you to make the decisions listed below. For example, Voluntary Care Orders and Assessment Orders, where there has not been sufficient time for the child to establish a supportive relationship with their carer, both require parental permission.
- If you need further guidance, feel uncomfortable, or have concerns about the risks involved with making a decision, please contact the Child Safety Service or the Care Team, if there is one in place.
- The information in this Guide should be read in the context of the decision-making principles on the next page.
Decision-making principles
All decisions that impact children and young people must consider the developmental age and individual circumstances of the child or young person and must be guided by the following principles:
1. Decisions are made in the best interests of the child or young person, in a timely, individualised, and consistent manner.
2. All children and young people have the right to have their voice heard and valued when adults are making decisions that impact them.
3. All children and young people in Out of Home Care have the right to be treated equally and have the same opportunities and social experiences as other children in the community.
4. The rights of children and young people are promoted and upheld and safeguarding them from harm is at the centre of all our actions and decisions.
5. Ensure the cultural wellbeing of Aboriginal children and young people by respecting the role and decision-making contributions of Aboriginal families, kinship groups, communities and organisations.
6. Everyone in the child or young person’s Care Team work to share decisions and make plans together to ensure the child or young person’s wellbeing needs are met.
For more detailed information relating to daily care decisions for children and young people in foster and kinship care, please refer to the Foster and Kinship Carers Association Handbook (PDF, 1,791KB).
Core topics
Quick reference guide
Decisions Carers make should consider the voice of the child or young person when it impacts them.
Being loved, safe and valued
| Decision | Young people | Carers (with the child or young person’s support) | Child Safety Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approve contact with family and others | ✔️ | ||
| Babysitting (more than ten hours per week) | ✔️ | ||
| Babysitting (less than ten hours per week) | ✔️ | ||
| Support and enable contact with family and others | ✔️ |
Having material basics
| Decision | Young people | Carers (with the child or young person’s support) | Child Safety Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apply for Learner’s driver license | ✔️ | ||
| Apply for Student Card | ✔️ | ||
| Apply for Tax File Number (age 16+) | ✔️ | ||
| Create own MyGov account (age 14+) | ✔️ | ||
| Open online back account | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
| Birth Certificates and Medicare Cards | ✔️ | ||
| Apply for Health Care Cards | ✔️ | ||
| Claim benefits from Medicare | ✔️ | ||
| Apply for Personal Identification Card | ✔️ | ||
| Apply for Youth Allowance/other Centrelink benefits | ✔️ | ||
| Budgeting and managing money | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
| Applying for a Passport | ✔️ | ||
| Mobile Devices and Phones | ✔️ | ||
| Social Media | ✔️ |
Being healthy
| Decision | Young people | Carers (with the child or young person’s support) | Child Safety Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| NDIS | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
| Sex and Contraception | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
| Emergency/urgent care | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
| General medical needs | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
| Low-risk, non-invasive medical needs (x-ray, blood tests, etc.) | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
| Fill prescriptions and administer as prescribed | ✔️ | ||
| general dental needs (cleaning, fillings, x-rays) | ✔️ | ||
| Major dental or orthodontic needs (extractions, root canals, etc.) | ✔️ | ||
| Major medical and dental needs and procedures (operations, orthodontic needs, etc.) | ✔️ |
Learning
| Decision | Young people | Carers (with the child or young person’s support) | Child Safety Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| School Enrolments | ✔️ | ||
| School Validation Forms | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
| School Photos | ✔️ | ||
| School camps and excursions (within Tas) | ✔️ | ||
| School camps and excursions (outside of Tas) | ✔️ | ||
| Other school-based activities/forms | ✔️ | ||
| Teaching a young person to drive | ✔️ |
Participating
| Decision | Young people | Carers (with the child or young person’s support) | Child Safety Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Activities (visiting friends, sports, community activities) | ✔️ | ||
| Activities involving high-risk | ✔️ | ||
| Sleepovers (at an already approved household) | ✔️ | ||
| Sleepovers at a new household, for a child under six, and for more than two nights | ✔️ | ||
| Holidays and travel (within Tas) | ✔️ | ||
| Holidays and travel (outside of Tas) | ✔️ | ||
| Passports | ✔️ | ||
| Approval for International Travel | ✔️ |
Having a positive sense of culture and identity
| Decision | Young people | Carers (with the child or young person’s support) | Child Safety Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintaining connection to culture | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Haircuts and hairstyle changes, including colour | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
| Body Piercings | ✔️ | ✔️ |