Can you open your heart to a Tasmanian child in need?

Foster care is one of the greatest, most rewarding acts of human kindness you can ever be involved with. (It’s also easier than you might think).

Whether you’re single, married, in a relationship, a same sex couple, have your own family already, rent your home, or own it outright, if you can open your heart to a Tasmanian child in need, then we’d love to hear from you.

Most importantly, our carers all share a strong commitment to providing a safe and nurturing environment for children and young people in their care. Our carers are passionate about making a positive difference to children and they are compassionate and resilient.

Our carers are part of a care team approach that are jointly responsible for caring for children and young people.

At Kennerley, our foster carers come from all sorts of different backgrounds, and family structures:

• Be single or have a partner
• Be same sex couples
• Have children of their own or not
• Own or rent their home
• Work, stay at home, study or be retired
• Be from any culture or religion

There’s also a few compulsory requirements you must possess to be a foster carer:

• Be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident
• Be at least 25 years old
• Have space in your house for a child
• If you are in a de-facto relationship, you will have been together for more than three years
• If you have been involved in IVF treatment, you will have been out of the program for at least 12 months
• Have current Police and Working With Children Checks (we will help you obtain these)
• Complete a health check, referee checks, and a home and environment check (we will help you with these checks)
• Complete training and be accredited or authorised (we provide training and help you with accreditation)

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Why foster with Kennerly

Kennerley has been caring for children in Tasmania continuously since 1869.

Our wonderful carers have provided a safe, nurturing environment (along with oodles of love and kindness) for hundreds of children and young people over time, which has laid the platform for so many to go on and reach their full potential. Sadly, the need for foster carers in Tasmania today is greater than ever.

A few other things you may not know about Kennerley:

• We are the longest serving provider of foster care services in Tasmania
• We put children and young people at the centre of all that we do
• We provide round the clock support, 24 hours a day
• We provide excellent training and support
• We use an internationally recognised trauma informed care
• Our foster carers are a critical part of our professionalised team
• We value diversity and we are a non-faith-based, non-judgemental organisation
• We care for approximately 120 children and young people each year
• Our foster carers come from a wide range of ages, cultures, and family backgrounds
• Our foster carers are married, single, in a de facto relationship, from the LGBTI community, working full time, or are stay at home.

24 hour support from Kennerley

We’ll give the right support at the right time, whenever you need it.

Being a carer can, at times, be confronting and challenging. We support you by offering training and development support by professional, qualified staff.

Our staff have post graduate qualifications in developmental trauma and receive professional development and supervision to ensure you get the right support at the right time and in the right way. We invest in our staff to ensure they reach their individual potential to ensure that our carers, children, and young people get to reach theirs.

Kennerley works to ensure that carers are provided with the information relevant to caring for each particular child.

In the event of an emergency, Kennerley operates a ‘call out service’ where a Kennerley worker will come to assist you. Additionally, in case of an emergency, Child Protection has an after-hours duty officer, who is contactable by phone. Training is a major part of supporting a carer. Through training, carers can gain insight into the issues that impact on children, and also themselves as carers. It can help build confidence, validate a carer’s current parenting practices, develop supportive networks with other carers, and provide the opportunity to discuss issues with a greater audience.

Become a carer

Foster carers come from all different backgrounds and all types of families. Most importantly, our carers all share a strong commitment to providing a safe and nurturing environment for children and young people in their care. Our carers are passionate about making a positive difference to children and they are compassionate and resilient.
Our carers are part of a care team approach that are jointly responsible for caring for children and young people.

At Kennerley our foster carers can:

• be single or have a partner
• be same sex couples
• have children of their own or not
• own or rent their home
• work, stay at home, study or be retired
• be from any culture or religion

There are several ways you can make an enquiry, you can call us on 6272 5900, send an online enquiry either through our web site or facebook / or email to us and attend one of our regular information sessions. Our Foster carer Coordinators will provide you with all the information you require to make an informed decision about whether this opportunity of a lifetime is for you. Opening your heart and your home to children who need love and support requires a commitment and an understanding of children’s needs. Out training will provide all the knowledge and skills you require, and ongoing support when you need it.