What does foster care training look like?
Foster carers play a crucial role in educating, protecting, and caring for a child. Throughout your journey to become a foster carer, you will learn many new skills that will help make a difference in a child's life. For this reason, foster care training is critical to enable you to perform your role and assess suitability. Although it can take some time, we’re here to help you every step of the way. After registering your interest, and attending an information session, you will begin essential training.
Training of foster carers is recognised as critically
important to enable carers to perform their role.
What will I have to do?
In Queensland, you will undergo pre-service training and complete four modules. The intention of these modules is to prepare prospective applicants for foster care through several topics. Throughout the course, you will gain an understanding of the context of foster care, the past for a child or young person, what early days in a placement look like, and how to work together to provide quality care. You will complete the modules through videos and mixed media, as well as completing group activities and analysing case studies.
After the initial pre-service training, you will submit four short-answer homework sheets and four personal reflection journals, all of which will allow you to reflect on everything you have just learned. Remember, this isn't a test! We just want to check in with you to make sure you have everything you need. Upon completion of these tasks, you will then begin your next stage as a foster carer.
What happens next?
We have a person-centred approach, which means we want to connect with you at every stage of your journey and ensure you have everything you need. Should you experience any barriers throughout the process, our team is always available to help you. And remember, there is always ongoing support available to you once you have become a foster carer. You will have constant support from your foster care practitioner and a wide community of foster carers that can offer you guidance, as well as extensive support in the form of ongoing training programs and resources.
It is important to note that if you have previously been a foster carer interstate and are now hoping to foster in Queensland, you will still need to complete pre-service training to become an approved Queensland carer.
Have more questions? Our FAQ page has answers to the most commonly asked questions. If your question hasn't been answered, don’t hesitate to contact us!
You can also find more information on the training modules from the Department of Children, Youth Justice, and Multicultural Affairs website.
