During Foster Care Week in Victoria and ahead of Global Kinship Care Week in October, Kinship Carers Victoria, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Foster Care Association of Victoria are jointly calling on all parties contesting the 2026 Victorian state election to commit to reimbursing foster and kinship carers for the cost of prescribed medicines for children in their care.
Under the proposal, the Victorian Government would reimburse carers for the out-of-pocket cost of medicines prescribed by a GP or paediatrician, including Schedule 4 and Schedule 8 medicines.
Children in out-of-home care are among Victoria's most vulnerable young people and experience disproportionately high rates of physical and mental health needs, including chronic conditions, infections and acute health episodes requiring ongoing treatment.
Despite this, foster and kinship carers can be left to pay the cost of essential medicines themselves, adding to the financial pressure faced by carers who have stepped forward to provide safe and stable homes for children unable to live with their birth families.
Victoria's base care allowance is the lowest in Australia. A Victorian carer looking after a child aged seven or younger receives just $236 per week to cover general household, clothing, education, recreation and health expenses, compared with $403 per week in New South Wales for a child of the same age.
For couple carer households, the cost of raising a child in out-of-home care is estimated to be 12-18% higher than raising a child who is not in out-of-home care according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies.
The financial pressure is contributing to an increasingly difficult environment for retaining carers. Victoria currently has the highest foster carer exit rate of any Australian state, with more carers exiting than are being recruited.
Kinship carers face considerable financial pressures, and despite being eligible for the same payments foster carers, they receive less financial assistance and have fewer of their costs covered.
Ahead of the 2026 Victorian state election, Kinship Carers Victoria, the RACGP and the Foster Care Association of Victoria are calling for a commitment from all sides of politics to ensure the cost of prescribed medicines is not another financial burden for carers - or a barrier to children receiving the healthcare they need.
The proposal follows the RACGP's release of its election platform for Victoria, which calls for the next Victorian Government to ensure the sustainability of general practice and support better access to essential care.
Quotes attributable to Dr Aadhil Aziz, Co-Deputy Chair, RACGP Victoria Faculty:
"Victorian carers are receiving the lowest support in Australia, and they are leaving the system in droves."Every Victorian child should be able to access the medicines they need to stay healthy, regardless of whether they live with their birth parents or are being cared for by a foster or kinship carer.
"Carers should not have to choose between the cost of essential medicines and meeting the many other everyday costs associated with supporting a child and family.
"We're calling on the next Victorian Government to do the right thing - ensure carers are fairly supported and the child protection system is sustainable."
Quotes attributable to Director, Kinship Carers Victoria, Anne McLeish:
"The wellbeing of children in kinship care is of paramount importance to the carers looking after them.
"Increased financial assistance in meeting the costs of prescribed medicines is of critical importance.
"Without such financial support, many kinship care families struggle to cover the costs of medicines that are critical to the wellbeing of children and young people with complex physical and mental health needs."
Quotes attributable to Chief Executive Officer, Foster Care Association of Victoria, Samantha Hauge:
"The FCAV supports the Royal Australian College of GPs measures that ensure carers are not left out of pocket for the costs of meeting children's health needs.
"Covering prescription medicine reimbursements is a practical measure within the wide-ranging issue of inadequate financial support for Victorian foster and kinship carers, contributing to financial stress in a time of critical carer attrition".
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