Defining care arrangements

‘Out-of-home care placements are a central feature of child protection services and one of the biggest challenges facing the Queensland child protection system’.

(Queensland Child Protection Commission of Inquiry)

A child is placed in a care arrangement using the authority of an order made by a Magistrate or Childrens Court, or alternatively with the parent’s authority provided through a signed Care agreement form. It is important to understand the types of care arrangements available (Refer to Procedure 6 Types of care arrangements.)

There are two categories of care arrangements:

• family based care
• non-family based care.

Understanding the care arrangement types helps determine which option will best meet the needs of a child. 

Family based care

The most common form of care arrangement involves family based care, where a child lives with an approved foster or kinship carer in their home.

The manager of the CSSC with case management responsibility for the child is the delegated decision maker for the approval of an application to be a foster or kinship carer.

Foster care

Foster carers are approved by Child Safety to provide care in their own homes for children and young people they are not related to and may not have a previous connection. This care may be for short or long periods of time.

Foster carer applicants are assessed and approved to care for children who have been assessed as unable to safely reside in their parent or parents care. To determine their suitability, they go through a rigorous assessment process that includes completion of:

• an application for initial approval (APA initial)
• criminal, domestic and family violence, traffic and child protection history checks
• a blue card application, noting that all other adult members of the household will also be required to hold a valid blue card approval.
• the health and wellbeing questionnaire
• a household safety study
• the ‘Getting ready to start’ training.

Discretionary information may also be requested by the delegated decision maker to assist with determining the suitability of the applicant.

Foster carers can provide care for children while Child Safety works towards reunifying the child with their family or until the child turns 18 years old, if required. 

Kinship care

Kinship carers are approved by Child Safety to provide care in their own homes for a particular child who requires a care arrangement, and who meets the legislative definition of kin as outlined in the Child Protection Act 1999, schedule 3. 

Kinship carers have a pre-existing relationship with the child or young person. For example, they may be their aunt, grandparent, cousin, neighbour, soccer coach or teacher. The care arrangement focuses on the child’s safety and support network coming together to care for the child.

Kinship care is the preferred option for a child who cannot live with their parents. Research shows that if kinship placements are identified early in a child’s care experience, outcomes can be improved. Placements with kin can provide a child with:

• stability and continuity
• enhanced opportunities to develop their identity
• increased feelings of belonging
• better opportunities for family contact and ongoing relationships
• strengthened reunification outcomes (if assessed as appropriate)
• the best outcomes for young adults transitioning to adulthood
• options for long-term guardianship.

When Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people need to live away from home for their own safety, we are committed to ensuring the maintenance of their cultural identity and relationship with their families and communities.  

Provisionally approved carers

A person who has applied to become a foster or kinship carer may be provisionally approved as a carer, allowing them to care for a specific child or young person while their application to be a foster carer or kinship carer is decided.

This type of approval is usually given to family members or other people already known to a child or young person, to enable the child to be placed urgently in family based care, when there are no other suitable care arrangements available. 

To meet the requirements for approval as a  provisionally approved carer, refer to the Checklist for completing a provisional carer assessment. Provisional approval allows a child's care arrangement to begin following approval of the carer entity, while a detailed and more comprehensive carer assessment is completed. Staff from the Placement Services Unit will be able to help with completing the provisional approval processes and forms.

Short break care

Short break care can be provided by foster or kinship carers to support the child and their primary care arrangement. Its purpose is to:

• enhance the child’s wellbeing
• assist in meeting case plan goals, including those relating to building and maintaining cultural connections
• support the carers to continue as primary carers for the child
• help sustain the caring relationship.

The provision of short break care is for short-term agreed periods of time and can be included in the child’s case plan or sought as required as part of case work with the child.

Carers who want to offer short break care can talk to their family based care care service about their availability and have their ability to provide short break care included in their foster carer agreement.

Non-family based care

There are a range of non-family based care arrangements that include residential care, supported independent living, safe houses in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and care arrangements with other entities.

Residential care

A residential care arrangement is where children and young people live at a residence supported by youth workers. Sometimes the children and young people residing together in a residential care arrangement will have an existing relationship or be related (for example, siblings) and sometimes they will not be known to each other prior to the placement. The premises where they reside is owned or rented by an organisation funded by Child Safety and can include services licensed under the Child Protection Act 1999 to provide the service, and services working to meet licensing requirements. This type of care arrangement is generally for young people over the age of 12. 

The Hope and Healing Queensland framework sets out the foundation for caring and working with young people living in residential care in a way that understands and responds to trauma and is therapeutic in approach. It recognises that, while not all young people in residential care require specialist therapeutic care, all have experienced trauma.

The framework is underpinned by common practice principles, which apply across all types of residential care, and the four fundamental needs of children and young people, safety, nurturance, development and healing.

Supported independent living

A supported independent living care arrangement is where a young person (15 years or older) lives in a residential setting or privately rented property by the funded service, often with at least one other young person, supported by youth workers in a structured support model. The youth workers do not live in the house but provide external support through regular visiting. This model of care provides young people with opportunities to further develop life skills which will support their transition to adulthood.

Young people generally enter a supported independent living care arrangement when they have developed some life skills and are capable of caring for themselves without having an adult present 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This may include the young person having basic cooking skills and the ability to grocery shop, budget, wash their clothes and keep a clean house.

Young people entering the supported independent living program will have a transition to adulthood plan that details their needs, strengths, goals and achievements regarding their transition. 

Safe houses 

Indigenous community residential care and family intervention services (commonly known as safe houses) are residential services specifically designed to meet the particular needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. They are located in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, to enable children to safely remain in, or return to, their communities of origin.

Other entities

The Child Protection Act 1999, section 82(1)(f), allows other entities to provide care for children where it is identified that a particular arrangement is best suited to meet the child’s specific care and support needs. Examples of a care arrangement with another entity include:

• non-family based care provided by a profit or not for profit organisation funded by Child Safety (Individualised placement and support) that is
  • not licenced
  • whose licence application has been lodged and not yet granted
    or
  • where the address of the service is new and yet to be added to the organisation’s licence.
• mental health facilities
• other private health facilities
• Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety (Disability Services - Accommodation Support Services)
  and
• service providers located interstate.

Statement of standards

Child Safety has an obligation to ensure all carer applicants are able to provide a level of care consistent with the statement of standards outlined in the Child Protection Act 1999, section 122. 

The statement of standards provides a way to measure the quality of care and forms the basis for assessing whether a care environment is acceptable and responsive to the child’s needs. All assessments must include details on the applicants understanding of, and ability to meet, the statement of standards.