Foster Carers Making Every Moment Matter in a Young Person’s Life

Foster Care Week Sunday 14 to Saturday 20 September, 2025

Media release

Victoria’s Foster Care Week runs from Sunday 14 to Saturday 20 September and is an annual celebration recognising the vital role of foster carers in supporting children and young people.

During the week, the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare and Victoria’s state-wide foster care recruitment service, Fostering Connections, highlight the importance of foster care and the positive impact foster carers have on the lives of children and young people.

This year’s theme ‘Time to Care’ celebrates the valuable time that foster carers dedicate to supporting children and young people and celebrates how much each and every one of those moments matter.

With the growing need for carers and a diverse group of children needing care, there has never been a better time for people from all walks of life to become foster carers.

A national push to value foster carers

The Centre is backing a national call for a “Gold Card”— a dedicated support card modelled on the Veterans Gold Card — to ensure children in out-of-home care have timely and seamless access to healthcare and essential services.

The Gold Card would establish priority access to medical, dental, mental health, and specialist care - helping to eliminate barriers such as missing Medicare cards and patchy medical histories, that currently hinder timely and consistent support.

This Gold Card would mean a reduction in delays and allow agencies and carers to advocate more effectively for each child’s wellbeing.

The Centre is also advocating an increase in the tax-free foster care allowance to help carers provide stable and nurturing environments for the children who depend on them as well as changing the National Employment Standards, so foster carers are afforded the same rights as parents.

Significant economic benefit of foster care

The case for greater recognition is supported by the findings of the Cube Group’s Economic Value of Foster Care report, which shows foster care not only transforms the lives of children but also delivers over $600 million in value to Victoria each year.

Carers contribute more than $400 million in volunteer time annually and save government over $200 million by preventing higher-cost placements. Without them, the social and financial cost would be far greater.

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