The State Government has confirmed an additional $110,000 in funding for Connecting Foster & Kinship Carers SA in 2026-27, strengthening support for the organisation as it continues its vital work advocating for and assisting foster and kinship carers across South Australia.

The funding announcement comes as South Australia marks Foster and Kinship Carer Week (13-19 September), recognising the extraordinary contribution carers make in providing safe, stable and nurturing homes for vulnerable children and young people.

The need for foster and kinship carers has never been greater, with thousands of South Australian children relying on the care, commitment and support of carers to help them thrive.

Almost 1000 foster and kinship carers will come together this week at lunches, dinners and a high tea held across the state to celebrate Foster and Kinship Carer Week and acknowledge the invaluable role they play in the child protection system.

Across South Australia, almost 1900 kinship care households and 1400 foster care homes are offering children a safe place to live, and providing love and ongoing support to help them thrive.

It comes as families increasingly face a range of interconnected challenges, including mental ill-health, poverty and intergenerational trauma.

More carers are needed to offer safe family home environments, whether that be for long-term, short-term, emergency or respite care, while parents and families work towards safely caring for their children.

Innovative child protection programs are finding new family-based placements, to reduce the need for children to go into residential care. For example, between December 2023 and 31 August 2026, the Finding Families team, which travels across the country to identify and meet with family and community members willing to take on children’s care, has secured almost 250 family placements for children and young people.

The State Government is acting upon carers’ feedback and striving to provide them with the support they need to best care for children, including through consultation with peak sector bodies and directly with carers themselves, through initiatives such as regular carer forums.

It has also delivered on its election commitment to increase funding to Connecting Foster and Kinship Carers SA. This saw an additional $120,000 provided to the organisation over 2025-26 and 2026-27, which will enable stronger support for foster and kinship carers.

Potential foster carers need not own their own home, can be single or partnered, and with or without their own children. They can offer a range of care, from full-time placements to respite on some weekends or during school holidays.

For more information about foster care, visit fostercare.sa.gov.au or call 1300 2 FOSTER (1300 2 367 837).

Quotes attributable to Minister for Child Protection Alice Rolls

With so many challenges facing families across our state, the demand for foster and kinship carers continues to grow. I am incredibly grateful to the foster and kinship carers who give their time, care and commitment to support children and young people who need a safe and stable home.

These children need adults in their lives, who they can depend upon and trust, to walk beside them in the difficult times, and be there to celebrate their achievements, large and small.

I encourage anyone who has ever thought about foster care to find out more about the role, because whatever time you can give, be it full-time care, or once a month or during the school holidays, could make an enormous difference in these young people’s lives.

Quotes attributable to Connecting Foster and Kinship Carers SA Inc Chief Executive Officer Russell Hooper

I want to express my profound thanks to South Australia’s foster and kinship carers for the strength, compassion and commitment they show every day, in the good moments and the hard ones.

Your dedication changes lives, providing vulnerable children and young people across South Australia safe, stable and loving homes when they need it the most.

Foster and kinship carers are everyday heroes. If you know one, let them know how much they are appreciated and valued for the life-changing difference they make.