Foster care is about giving a child or young person the simple things they may never have had before – or at least had with any consistency. Like a warm bed or sharing a meal.

But it’s also about so much more – it’s about giving a young person a safe space where they can be heard, it’s about giving them happy memories and it’s about giving them a chance to reach their full potential.

When you realise that they’ve grown in confidence enough to say ‘let me cook dinner tonight’.

Or that moment when you are both lost in the simple joy of planting tomatoes.

They’re the moments that foster carers say really stick in their minds and their hearts.

Those moments that make you realise you’ve made a difference in a young person’s life.

Just like it is with your own kids, foster care is about the little moments.

Right now, there are not enough foster carers in Victoria.

And that’s where you can help.

Supporting foster carers every step of the way.

Taking the first step to becoming a foster carer can seem more like a leap. But it’s not a leap you take alone⁠—you’re supported every step of the way.

Children and young people in care can present with complex problems because of their experiences, but when you become a carer, you receive specialist training to help you manage any issues, as well as ongoing support from your foster care agency.

And there are lots of different ways to become a carer, because different children need different types of care depending on their circumstances. So you can choose what works for you, your family and your lifestyle.

Maybe you can commit to short or long-term care. Or maybe you can only spare weekend a month to provide respite care. Or maybe emergency overnight care for a child in need suits you best. Foster care can be flexible.

Learn more about the different types of foster care.

Like all children, foster children need support, patience, encouragement and a safe place. They come into care at all ages, from babies to teenagers. And they come from all sorts of different backgrounds.

Whether you live in the city, the country or a regional centre, there’s a foster agency that’s active in your community.

Fostering Connections can help you find the right agency for you: your foster care agency will then find the right child for you to foster.

No matter how big or small your involvement, you can make all the difference to a child or young people.