Permanency Support Program
The Permanency Support Program aims to give every child and young person the chance to have a loving, permanent home for life, whether that be with his or her parents, extended family or kin, or through open adoption or guardianship.Where children and young people cannot remain with their family, it is important to find them a stable, nurturing and safe home. Guardianship and open adoption give them this opportunity if it is not possible to return to their birth family or live with extended family. The role of foster, kinship and relative carers is more important than ever to support each child or young person’s pathway to permanency.
Types of care
Foster care in a family-based setting provides a safe, nurturing and secure environment. While in out-of-home care, children and young people are supported to maintain contact with their birth family and community, as long as it is safe for them to do so.
Children and young people who are placed with foster carers for emergency or short-term care remain in out-of-home care until they can safely return home to their birth families. If they cannot return to family, the intention is to find a permanent home for them through adoption, guardianship or sometimes long-term foster care, depending on their circumstances and needs. All children and young people deserve a stable and supportive home for life, to give them the best chance of a bright future.
The guiding principles of out-of-home care are:
- permanency for children and young people as early as possible
- maintaining cultural identity and connections with family and community
- participation of children and young people in decision-making about their lives
- supporting carers to care for children and young people.
Out-of-home care arrangements
There are three types of out-of-home care arrangements defined in the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998.
Statutory care
Statutory care is provided for a period of more than 14 days following an Order of the Children’s Court, or because the child or young person is a protected person. Under the Act, a protected person includes a child who is a ward of the Supreme Court, a child who is under the parental responsibility of the Family and Community Services Secretary while awaiting adoption, or a child for whom the Family and Community Services Minister has parental responsibility under the Family Law Act 1975.
Supported out-of-home care (OOHC)
Supported out-of-home care is care arranged, provided or supported by Department of Communities and Justice Services (DCJ) when DCJ has assessed that a child or young person is in need of care and protection, and the Children’s Court has made an Order giving the relative or kin carer full parental responsibility for the child.
It also includes situations where an Order has been made in the Family Court or Federal Circuit Court (rather than the Children’s Court), but only when DCJ has been involved in the court process.
Some children and young people are in supported out-of-home care with no Court Order. These care arrangements are historic and it is no longer possible for children to enter supported out-of-home care without a Court Order. The arrangements for these children are subject to annual reviews, and/or must not exceed two years.
Supported out-of-home care can also include:
Temporary care where the birth family is supported to resolve issues concerning the child or young person’s safety, welfare and wellbeing. Temporary care usually requires the consent of the parents and may range from a few weeks up to several months.
Other supported out-of-home care which is care of 21 days or less, arranged, provided or supported by DCJ with no Order.