These reforms will deliver enhanced therapeutic and specialised support, and improved outcomes for carers, and children and young people in care.
From 1 July 2025, the Department will be progressing the below reforms:
- Establishing 200 new therapeutic foster care placements to more than double the existing foster care placement capacity in the Victorian system. This will provide carers, and children and young people in foster care with additional specialist support.
- Funding to pilot 20 carer support networks for 120 to 200 foster carers and kinship carers. This pilot will draw on existing evidence-based models to enable localised peer-based support, respite care, social activities, and informal advice between foster carers.
These immediate reform actions are a step towards the long-term vision of a modernised Victorian foster care system.
To read more about foster care in Victoria, visit the Foster Care web page https://services.dffh.vic.gov.au/foster-care.