Marilyn McHugh

Exploring the dimensions of professionalising fostering: Carers’ perceptions of their fostering role

Australia is experiencing major difficulties attracting and retaining foster carers. This crisis in recruitment has focused attention on whether fostering can continue to rely on voluntary carers. This paper examines data from a 2003/4 survey of foster carers in New South Wales commissioned by the Department of Community Services. The research explores carers’ perceptions of the nature of the fostering role and examines these in relation to three dimensions of professionalisation: training, support and payment. The findings indicate that the majority of carers believe fostering should be regarded as a professional or semi-professional role. Among these carers, there was a higher level of support for the three dimensions of professionalisation compared to carers who regard their role as voluntary. Differences in perceptions were not attributable to other socio-demographic characteristics, aside from education levels. This paper also addresses the policy implications of these findings for the future recruitment and retention of carers.

Foster carers in New South Wales: profile and projections based on ABS census data

Administrative data on foster carers in New South Wales (NSW) are sadly lacking. Based on research commissioned by the NSW Department of Community Services, this paper uses the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census of Population and Housing and other data to provide up-to-date information on the characteristics oj foster carers and the demographic trends that are influencing their numbers. Census data indicate that foster carer families are most likely to contain women aged 35-54 years, not in the labour force. Couples account for two-thirds ofall foster carers, with the majority of those couples also caring for birth children. While single parents account for less than one fifth of all foster carers, they are more likely to foster than couples, either with or without birth children. Higher rates of fostering were found in relatively disadvantaged areas. Projected increases in female labour force participation are expected to contribute to a decline (or to slower growth) in the number of foster carers over the next decade. However, projected increases in sole parent families and couples without children are expected to have the opposite effect. The relative magnitude ofthese effects was not ascertained.