We are exploring how we can use respite support packages to help improve carers’ wellbeing and strengthen children and young people’s placements.

This follows a recommendation in Dr Fiona Arney’s Report of the Independent Inquiry into Foster and Kinship Care that carers be offered flexible funding packages that can be used to pay for respite care placements, and other arrangements that support them in their crucial roles. For example, this could include funding to access services such as babysitting, cleaning and gardening.

Feedback from carers will help determine what these respite support packages would look like, and how they would work.

We are linking in with kinship and foster care agencies and Connecting Foster and Kinship Carers – SA to assist in creating opportunities for carer consultation. In addition, DCP will hold carer consultation forums to seek feedback from kinship, foster, specific child only, and respite carers.

Two forums for kinship and foster carers will be held on Tuesday 18 July at 9am and Wednesday 26 July at 7pm. A third forum will focus on respite carers and will be held on Friday 21 July at 10am.

All three forums are open to all family based carers.

Carers can register for one of these events via our Eventbrite page.

In addition to these sessions,  DCP will present an online session for carers, hosted via MS Teams and facilitated by Connecting Foster and Kinship Carers SA. It will be held on Tuesday 25 July, from 11.30am-12.30pm. Carers can register for the session here.

Alternatively, carers can provide their feedback via our online survey here.