We want to ensure foster and kinship carers feel recognised, respected and genuinely valued for the crucial role they play.
Key information
- Updates will be provided four times a year and will be:
- sent to carers via email
- provided to FKAT and non-government service providers
- may be included in public school newsletters, and
- posted here.
- Meaning there will be various opportunities for carers to get the latest updates.
We will keep you updated on:
- The development of a Carer Recruitment and Retention Strategy, including actions currently being progressed to improve carer support
- Other policy, procedure or organisational changes that matter to foster and kinship carers, including those resulting from the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings (COI).
- One of these recommendations was to transfer out of home care to the non-government sector. We have been working with key stakeholders, including the Carer Advisory Group and a service provider group to understand views on this. We have also been working to understand how this works in other places in Australia. We will be providing you with more updates in coming months about what is next for this COI recommendation.
We are proud to continue working with the Foster and Kinship Carer Association Tasmania (FKAT) to improve support for foster and kinship carers.
September 2026
Message from the Secretary
Hi everyone,
As we celebrate Foster and Kinship Carers Week, I’d like to thank foster and kinship carers across Tasmania for the extraordinary difference you make in the lives of children and young people.
Opening your home, is more than providing a place to live. It is sharing your time, and providing care, stability and a sense of belonging that every child deserves. Through life’s ups and downs, you help children and young people feel safe, supported and valued. On behalf of the Department for Education, Children and Young People, thank you for your generosity, resilience and dedication.
This year is also a special milestone for the Foster and Kinship Carers Association of Tasmania (FKAT), celebrating its 40th anniversary. For four decades, FKAT has been a strong advocate for carers. They’re an important source of support, information and connection for caring families.
To all foster carers, thank you for your compassion and dedication to Tasmania’s children and young people. Every day, you help children and young people build the confidence and hope they need to thrive in the future.
This week is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate your contribution to our community.
Warm regards,
Ginna
Ginna Webster
Secretary
Kind regards,
Ginna Webster
Foster and Kinship Carers Week Events
FKAT is hosting several events for Foster and Kinship Carers Week, including morning teas to celebrate carers in northern Tasmania on Wednesday 16 September in Launceston, and carers in southern Tasmania on Friday 18 September, in Hobart. You can find out about all the events running throughout the week on FKAT’s website, in the Carers Week events document (PDF, 70.4KB) or in the flyers below.
Carers Week Northern morning tea
Carers Week Southern morning tea
Good News for Foster and Kinship Carers in the 2026-27 Budget
The 2026-27 Tasmanian Budget includes a major investment in services for children and young people in care. It provides $100.1 million over four years, including $36 million in 2026-27, to strengthen care services and supports.
The Budget also includes an ongoing increase of $2 million each year for foster and kinship carer allowances. This funding recognises the important role carers play and helps ensure support continues into the future.
In addition, the Budget includes:
- $21.5 million over four years for 48 additional Child Safety Officers.
- $3 million over two years for workforce incentives.
These investments will help strengthen the child safety system and improve support for children, young people and carers.
Together, these measures show a strong commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people in care, and to supporting the foster and kinship carers who make a positive difference in their lives.
Foundations for Uplifting Child Safety and Care
DECYP has developed three new resources to help improve supports for children and young people in Tasmania.
Together, these resources explain:
- what we want to achieve
- how we will get there
- how we will measure our progress.
Putting Children First: Our Child Safety Approach
This document explains our vision and guiding principles for delivering services that put children first, respect children’s rights and respond to their individual needs and backgrounds.
It is available on the DECYP page, along with a summary version and short explainer video.
The Child Safety, Care and Youth Justice Outcomes Framework
This framework focuses on the outcomes that are most important to children and young people. It will help guide improvements to services and supports.
It is available on the DECYP page.
Bright Lives: The Roadmap to Uplifting Care
This plan sets out how we will improve services and experiences for children and young people in Care, as well as the people who care for them.
The Roadmap will soon be available on DECYP’s ‘Our strategies and frameworks’ page.
Carer Recruitment and Retention Strategy Update
DECYP continues to work with the Foster and Kinship Carer Advisory Group, FKAT and family-based Care providers to develop a carer recruitment and retention strategy. The strategy is focused on building stronger relationships with foster and kinship carers. This includes better communication, greater support, and recognising the important role carers play.
There has also been engagement with other key stakeholders including young people with lived experience of Care, independent experts, Aboriginal organisations and the DECYP Care Coordination team. Feedback has been important to ensure the Strategy reflects the experiences of carers, children and young people.
We will continue to keep carers updated as this work progresses. We thank FKAT and the Foster and Kinship Carer Advisory Group for their ongoing support and advice.
Carer Handbook
The department has worked closely with FKAT to update their Carer Handbook.
The handbook has been reviewed to make sure it remains helpful and relevant for foster and kinship carers.
It combines FKAT’s knowledge of the experiences and needs of carers in Tasmania with information about department policies and programs. The handbook provides clear information, guidance and resources to help carers in their role.
FKAT is an important partner. This work shows our shared commitment to supporting, recognising and valuing carers. The handbook highlights the important difference carers make in the lives of children and young people across Tasmania.
It will be made available on the FKAT and DECYP websites in September – keep an eye out for it!
Conduct Standards for Foster and Kinship Carers
A new set of conduct standards is being developed for foster and kinship carers. The conduct standards will provide clear guidance on expected behaviour, boundaries, and creating safe and respectful environments for children and young people.
The department recognises the valuable experience and knowledge that carers bring. Carer feedback will play an important role in shaping the final standards. During development, carers will have opportunities to review the draft document and share their views.
We encourage all foster and kinship carers to take part in the consultation process. Your feedback will help ensure the Code is practical, clear and supports quality care for children and young people. Your voice matters, and we look forward to hearing from you.
Understanding the Proposed Allocation Model
DECYP is proposing a new Allocation Model to improve support for children and young people in Care.
Under the proposed model, every child and young person will have a dedicated Child Safety Officer (CSO), giving carers a clear point of contact for questions, decisions and support.
The model introduces two levels of case management:
- Active Management: the preferred level of support, with regular casework, care planning and coordination.
- Actively Supported Pending Allocation (ASPA): a temporary arrangement for children who cannot yet receive full Active Management. Children in ASPA will still have an allocated CSO, regular oversight, a care plan and scheduled reviews.
The aim is to reduce uncertainty, strengthen communication and ensure children, young people and carers know who to contact and what support they can expect. The Model is in the process of being finalised. More communication will be shared in coming months regarding next steps to implement the Model.
May 2026
The Foster and Kinship Carer Advisory Group
In early 2025, we worked closely with FKAT to establish the Foster and Kinship Carer Advisory Group. This group includes foster and kinship carers with diverse backgrounds and caring experiences and continues to provide advice and ensure the voices of carers are informing the work we are doing.
The Carer Advisory Group provides a forum for meaningful engagement with carers, chaired by FKAT to ensure independence and strong advocacy for carers.
Key achievements of the Carer Advisory Group include:
- Developing a set of Principles of Engagement for staff and carers to work together in partnership and build trust, that will be embedded in practice as we work to build a culture of respecting and valuing the role of carers.
- Providing feedback across various projects including the transitioning of Care services and the strategic planning for the future of Care services in Tasmania, and policies such as mobile phone, sleepovers and placement matching.
- Supporting the development of a Carer Recruitment and Retention Strategy. The purpose of this strategy is to address the key challenges carers face and improve the recruitment and retention rates of carers.
- Collaboratively developed an online Carer Toolkit, full of wellbeing, support and training resources specific to foster and kinship carers. The Toolkit also has a noticeboard function, where we will post quarterly updates for carers, too.
Carer Liaison Officer
Re-establishing the Carer Liaison Officer position within DECYP is underway and the successful person will play an important role in actively building carer networks across the state and for creating opportunities for connecting within the community.
We hope to introduce the new Carer Liaison Officer to you soon.