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.
Supporting a child's religion or spirituality
Carers are responsible for supporting the child in their care to practise their religion and spirituality. For example, carers should arrange for kids to attend religious services in their own faith and allow them to participate in religious activities unless their parents expressly request otherwise.
You may provide the child with whatever religious instruction you consider to be appropriate as long as:
- you are not instructing the child or young person in a religion different to their own if their Case Plan goal is to return them home
- their views, including their willingness to receive religious instruction, have been taken into account
- they haven’t been coerced or compelled to participate in any religious instruction, activity or teaching
- they aren’t provided a level of religious instruction that will interfere with plans to return them home, even if you are of the same religion.
- it is part of an approved Case Plan for a child or young person in your long-term care to receive religious instruction in your faith.