Fostering Connections is Victoria’s statewide foster carer recruitment service, helping people explore whether foster care could fit into their lives and connecting them with foster care agencies across the state. 

Before you make an enquiry, you’re welcome to contact us for a completely non-committal conversation about what foster care involves. It’s a safe space to ask any questions and to learn more at your own pace. Our role is to support your learning, not to persuade you.

Thinking about foster care often starts with a simple feeling. It may be curiosity, a question, or the sense that you’d like to understand more about what’s involved.

For many people, that feeling sits quietly in the background for a while before they decide to explore it further. And when they do, the first step is usually to submit an enquiry with Fostering Connections or directly to a foster care agency.

What many people don’t realise is that an enquiry isn’t a commitment. It’s just the beginning of a conversation and a chance to learn, ask questions, and see whether foster care could fit into your life.  

1. Submitting your enquiry

When you fill out our Fostering Connections enquiry form your enquiry will be sent to one of your local foster care agencies (or you have the option of selecting your preferred agency). It’s important to remember at this stage that you won’t be locked into anything. Your details simply help agency staff connect with you and understand the best time to talk.  

There’s no expectation that you’ll know what type of care you’re interested in, how the foster care system works, or what the next year of your life looks like. At this stage, many people are still unsure and that’s completely normal.  

2. A conversation, not a commitment

After your enquiry, a foster care agency staff member will get in touch for a friendly, no pressure conversation. This is simply a chance to talk about what foster care involves, the different types of care available, and what support is provided. It’s an opportunity to have questions answered because you’re not expected to know everything.  

3. Understanding the early steps

If you’d like to keep exploring, you’ll be walked through what the next stages look like: information sessions, training, and opportunities to learn more about the role. These steps are deliberately paced, fully supported, and you can pause at any time.  

The goal isn’t to rush you into a decision. It’s to give you the clarity you need to make the decision that’s right for your life, your circumstances, and your family. Many people take time before deciding whether to move forward. Others enquire, learn more, and decide foster care isn’t the right fit for them, or simply that now isn’t the right time to start. Both outcomes are OK.  

If you’re feeling ready to take the next step, you’ll have the opportunity to continue learning about the role foster carers play, engage in training to equip you with knowledge and skills, and be guided through suitability conversations before you then welcome children into your care.  

4. You stay in control

Throughout the enquiry process, you remain fully in control. Asking questions doesn’t commit you to becoming a foster carer. It simply helps you understand whether fostering could work for you.  

Every step is designed to be honest, practical, and supportive with no pressure to decide quickly. What matters most is that you feel informed and respected as you explore and learn.  

A supportive team behind you

If you choose to continue beyond your initial enquiry, you won’t be doing it alone. Foster carers work within a supported network of social workers, trainers, and other professionals who share responsibility and provide guidance along the way.  

You’re part of a team, and we’re here to help you learn step-by-step, at a pace that feels right for you. 

If you have questions about foster care, feel free to contact us for a non-committal conversation on 1800 013 088, email or DM via our Facebook or Instagram.