A new, more engaging foster care recruitment website is attracting strong attention from potential carers, generating almost 80 online enquiries in its first month.
The website - fostercare.sa.gov.au - guides visitors through a questionnaire, which asks about their living situation, cultural background, age and work, highlighting the diversity of people who can help a child or young person in need.
Participants can request more information about foster care, the formal application process and eligibility criteria, or make direct contact with a foster care agency in their local area by calling 1300 2 FOSTER.
Minister for Child Protection Rachel Sanderson said increasing family-based care gives children and young people a greater sense of permanence, stability and belonging.
"The Liberal Government is committed to further growing the number of foster and kinship carers in South Australia, recognising that children thrive in family-based environments," said Minister Sanderson.
"This means recruiting more carers and better supporting existing carers to continue in their important roles.
"We know there are a lot of people who may be thinking about becoming foster carers but may not believe they are not suitable due to their living situation, their age, or other factors.
"The new website has been designed to be interactive and engaging for potential foster carers and debunk some of the myths about suitability for becoming a foster carer."
The new website is one of a number of steps the State Government is taking to increase family-based care, including the establishment of a Carer and Recruitment Taskforce and streamlining approaches to foster care recruitment, assessment and training.
Minister Sanderson said it was encouraging to see a growing amount of interest from potential foster carers through the website.
"The new website is a positive start and a fantastic first step for people thinking about becoming a foster carer," said Minister Sanderson.
"We are always looking for more loving, safe, nurturing homes for children and young people who come into care because it is no longer safe for them to live with their birth parents.
"Raising a vulnerable child through foster care is the ultimate contribution to community service and I'd like to say a huge thank you to our foster and kinship carers who give love and support to our young people everyday.
"I'm thrilled our foster care agencies have worked hard to achieve my goal of recruiting 50 foster carers this year but there is more work to be done.
"Thanks to the kindness and generosity of community members willing to open their hearts, more vulnerable children and young people have found safe and stable homes."
To see the new website and take the quiz, visit fostercare.sa.gov.au.
