Caring for Children
Owned and managed by Department of Communities & Justice
Getting started
Carers provide a secure and nurturing environment for children and young people who are not able to live safely at home with their families and can be a strong and positive influence on the kids in their care. It’s important to remember that some kids may take time to adjust to living with a new family in a new environment.
Kids and privacy
Children and young people in care have the same right to privacy that any child can reasonably expect of their own parents. Respecting a child’s privacy means they:
- have reasonable privacy using the phone
- can send emails and letters without them being read
- can receive emails and letters without them being opened by someone else
- don’t have their room, pockets or property searched unless there’s reasonable cause to suspect they possess an item that belongs to someone else, or is illegal or potentially dangerous.
When you’re deciding how much privacy to allow the child or young person, think about:
- their age and developmental capacity
- your living arrangements
- whether the child or another person’s safety, welfare and wellbeing are put at risk
- any conditions placed on contact by a court order or the child’s Case Plan with the intent of keeping the child safe, such as screening phone calls, emails or letters between the child and a particular person.