The statement of commitment

We recognise and appreciate the invaluable contribution made by foster and kinship carers to the lives of children and young people in care.

The Statement of Commitment (PDF or DOCX) between the Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services (Child Safety) and the foster and kinship carers of Queensland has been developed in collaboration with Queensland Foster and Kinship Care, PeakCare Queensland and the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak. It reflects the shared commitment of our partnership with you, for the benefit of children and young people in care.

The statement also acknowledges the unique role you have as volunteers in this partnership and promotes your critical role as part of a team in opening your homes to care for children and young people.

Roles and responsibilities

Child Safety, foster and kinship care services and approved carers have common responsibilities to the children or young people in care. The ways in which these responsibilities are exercised will vary according to our respective roles.

The role of Child Safety – as the lead child protection agency in Queensland – is to ensure the safety, belonging and wellbeing of children and young people. When children or young people are unable to safely live with their own parents or guardians, Child Safety will place them in a care environment that best meets their needs, which may include family-based care with a foster or kinship carer.

Child Safety funds foster and kinship care services to undertake the role of recruitment, training, assessment and support of carers. These services provide you with comprehensive support and advocacy through a range of services and resources. They work with Child Safety to assist and support you to implement and achieve the agreed goal and outcomes of the child and young person’s case plan.

Our commitment to you

We know that caring for children, keeping them safe and helping them to be the best they can be is a big job and no one can do it on their own. Child Safety and our foster care agency partners are committed to working together with you to:

• make a difference in the lives of children and young people
• ensure the safety, belonging and wellbeing needs of the children and young people in your care are met
• ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in our care maintain their cultural identity and relationship with their family and community
• do our best for you so you can do your best for the children and young people in your care
• build a good relationship that will help us work together to get the best outcomes for children and young people, even when we disagree or see things differently
• uphold the human rights of children and young people in your care.

We will:

• respect you as part of the team, a skilled carer, a role model for children and young people, and as a person who is willing to open your home and heart to a child at a difficult time in their life
• ask you what is working well and recognise and celebrate your successes
• listen to what you are worried about and what you think needs to happen
• collaborate with you to plan for the future of the children and young people in your care
• acknowledge the importance of your relationship with the children and young people in your care and the role it plays in healing hurt and trauma
• respect your human rights in all your decision making
• use plain language and give you full and frank information so you can provide the best care possible
• keep learning and improving by asking you for feedback about how we could do better for you and the children in your care
• provide both you and the children and young people in your care with the emotional, financial, therapeutic, practical, cultural and educational support you need.