National foster care leader MacKillop Family Services is delivering for Queensland children, with 20 households nearing approval and another 66 prospective carers progressing through training and assessment
In just 16 weeks, 20 Queensland households are now close to being authorised as foster carers, ready to open their homes to children and young people who urgently need somewhere safe, stable and nurturing. A further 66 prospective carers have completed their training and are progressing through assessment with MacKillop Family Services (MacKillop), one of Australia's most experienced child and family welfare organisations.
Less than four months ago MacKillop launched a concerted campaign to help address the urgent need for foster carers in Queensland. Close to 11,000 Queensland children were living in home-based care as at 31 June 2026, with a further 2,800 living in residential care. It's not a good number.
Across the Sunshine Coast and Central Queensland regions, more than 2,000 children and young people are living away from home in home-based care, supported by 1,243 approved foster carer households.
The figures underline the urgent need to grow the number and diversity of foster carers available throughout these communities.
Today, MacKillop begins visiting regional Queensland to have a cuppa and conversations with locals about the need for foster carers, starting with Rockhampton, then Emerald and Gladstone. A full list of dates and location is at base.
Leading the work in Queensland is Jasmine Perry, MacKillop's National Leader of Foster Care Development, who said the response showed Queenslanders were willing to step forward when they understood what fostering involved, and realised they could be eligible.
"Queenslanders have always been good at looking after one another, particularly when someone in their community needs a hand," Ms Perry said, herself a Queenslander and based at MacKillop's Queensland office in Minyama. The office supports MacKillop's foster carer recruitment across the Sunshine Coast and Central Queensland regions.
"To have 20 households already approaching approval and another 66 prospective carers moving through training and assessment is incredibly encouraging, but we need many more people to take that first step. The situation is URGENT, these kids need foster carers, and many Queenslanders are more eligible to become foster carers than they realise."
With almost three decades of experience in foster care recruitment and support, MacKillop is working alongside the Queensland Government, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community-controlled Organisations (ATSICCOs) and local foster care providers to build the number of safe and supportive foster homes available to Sunshine Coast and Central Queensland children.
Ms Perry said many Queenslanders ruled themselves out of fostering before discovering that foster carers came from an enormous range of households, backgrounds and life experiences.
"You don't need to fit some imaginary picture of the perfect foster family," she said. "You can be single or partnered, in a same-sex or heterosexual relationship, working or retired, renting or owning your home, and from any faith or cultural background. What matters is whether you can provide a child with safety, stability, patience and care.
"There are also different ways to foster, including emergency, respite, short-term and longer-term care, so we encourage people not to decide they aren't suitable before they have even had the conversation. You may not think you can foster but you may be exactly who a Queensland child needs right now."
Queenslander Remi and his husband chose to become foster carers after their friends relayed what a great experience they had had.
"My husband and I always wanted to have a family, and to have a house filled with kids. After our friends explained how wonderful their foster care journey had been, we both immediately realised this was our journey to family status," he said. "Through the whole process we were incredibly supported, and we remain in very close contact, plus we want to share our stories because there are so many Queensland kids needing foster care, and not nearly enough foster carers."
"If we can champion one message it's that becoming a foster carer is life changing in the very best way for the carer and the kids - it doesn't matter if you are single, in a same sex relationship or a traditional family, Queensland's foster kids needs need you, and they need you now." (Remi is available for additional interviews and features in the vision and stills link.)
MACKILLOP FAMILY SERVICES REGIONAL QLD VISITS
- Rockhampton = Monday 2nd November, Boathouse 189 Quay Street 9am - 11.30am
- Emerald = Tuesday 3rd November 10am - Midday Emerald Golf Club
- Gladstone = Wed 4th November, Flavours Marina, Bryan Jordan Drive 9am - 11.30am
- Gympie = Tuesday 24th November - Gympie RSL Cafe, 217 Mary Street 10am - Midday
- Maryborough = Wednesday 25th November Maryborough Services Club, 163-175 Lennox St 9.30am - 11.30am
- Bundaberg = Thursday 26th November River Cruz Cafe, 3 Quay Street 9am - 11.30am
- Sunshine Coast = 4th December - Kawana Surf Club 11am - 12.15pm. Speaker and guest Hon Jarrod Bleijie, MP
Queenslanders interested in learning more can visit mackillop.org.au/qld, call 1300 791 677, or attend a MacKillop online information session.
ABOUT MACKILLOP FAMILY SERVICES MacKillop Family Services is a national child and family welfare organisation with extensive experience delivering therapeutic and trauma-informed services. We operate residential care, foster care, family support, disability support, youth homelessness and education programs across NSW, VIC, WA, the ACT and the NT, and provide foster care recruitment services in the Sunshine Coast and Central Queensland regions.
In QLD, MacKillop guides prospective carers through every stage of the process, from their first, obligation-free enquiry through training, assessment and authorisation. Its established, evidence-led approach equips carers with the practical skills, knowledge and confidence they need to provide a safe and supportive home for a child or young person who cannot live safely with their family. Once authorised, new carers transition to the local foster care service provider of their choice, which provides ongoing case management and support.
