Queensland says ‘thank you’ to our foster carers

The tireless dedication of Queensland’s foster and kinship carers is being recognised this week (22-28 April) as Queenslanders celebrate the tremendous effort more than 5300 carer families put in each and every day to keep vulnerable Queensland children safe.

Child Safety Minister Di Farmer said foster and kinship carers really were the backbone of the state’s child safety system, helping to provide stable, loving homes for more than 8800 children and young people.

“I’ve been lucky enough to meet a number of our dedicated and hard-working foster and kinship carers, and the thing that strikes me about each of them is how committed they are to making a real difference in the lives of the children they care for,” she said.

“They open their hearts and homes to children who can’t live safely with their own families, and work tirelessly to create a bright future for each of these children.

“This week is all about saying thank you for the work you do every day to make sure Queensland’s foster kids have the same opportunities as all children in our state.”

Ms Farmer said this year they were honouring long-term foster and kinship carers.

“I’m really excited to announce that we have more than 200 foster and kinship carers in Queensland who have been caring for children in need for more than 20 years,” she said.

“These long-term foster and kinship carers are vital and provide stability for so many children.

“But they are also people that our Child Safety staff can call on in an emergency.”

Ms Farmer said more foster and kinship carers were always needed, and the $2.6 million Foster Care Recruitment Campaign in partnership with Foster Care Queensland was well under way.

“This has drawn considerable interest already, and I think having real carers out there telling their stories has inspired other Queenslanders to come forward and take on this important role,” she said.

“I’d encourage anyone thinking about becoming a foster carer to make the call and find out more information.”

People considering foster care can call Foster Care Queensland on 1300 550 877 or visit www.qld.gov.au/fostercare for more information.

ENDS

Media Contact:                      Ron Goodman                        0427 781 920