The Queensland government has announced a $15 million funding boost to help more working families sign up as foster carers, by helping to cover the out-of-pocket childcare expenses for children aged one to five-years-old. The government hopes to be able to attract more working Queenslanders to take on the invaluable job of fostering, after pledging to help pay for childcare and kindy.
Woman and her step daughter standing inside their home
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk hopes the funding boost will be a game-changer for vulnerable kids in Queensland, and hopes it will encourage more people to play their part. The money will be spent over the next four years to support carers who have already opened their homes and hearts to some of Queensland’s most vulnerable children and young people.
“This is the first time the Queensland Government has committed to helping pay the out-of-pocket costs involved with childcare for our children in foster and kinship care,” she said.
“We have more than 5000 foster and kinship carers right here in Queensland, but we need more people like you to help provide a safe home for children who can no longer live with their family.
Child Safety Minister Shannon Fentiman said one of the highlights of her job was meeting with dedicated and hard-working foster and kinship carers and she has heard from many families that and she understands that the cost of childcare is not only a strain on foster families, but it is also a barrier that prevents more people from opening their homes,”
“We are always looking for more people who want to play a part in keeping Queensland’s children and young people safe and supported so they can reach their full potential. “By contributing up to $2000 per year towards out-of-pocket childcare expenses we hope more working families will come on board to help give our vulnerable kids the bright future they deserve”.
The $15 million funding boost coincides with a $2.6 million campaign to recruit more foster carers over the next four years and the out-of-pocket payments for carers start on 1 July 2017.
More information about being a foster or kinship can be found oat https://www.qld.gov.au/community/caring-child/foster-kinship-care-how-to-become-a-carer/
Alex Nyembo
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