Before a child enters your care

Before you receive a phone call from your foster and kinship care service about caring for a child, they will have been provided with written information about the child and their needs, and considered your placement preferences and your capabilities. It is important that you take the time to ask questions about the child and the proposed care arrangement.

Questions to ask

The following questions may assist you in making a decision about whether to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the proposed placement:

• What is the child's age, gender, school year, cultural heritage?
• What is the intended length of the child's stay with you?
• Is this the child's first care experience and if so what was the reason for entering care?
• If the child has been in another care arrangement, what is reason for the ending the previous arrangement?
• Under what kind of authority is the child being placed – is it the result of a court order or a care agreement with the parents?
• Are there special cultural or religious needs the child requires?
• What contact will the child be having with their parents, family or community, and what role will I play in this, if any?
• Does the child have siblings? Are they also in care or with their parents?
• What are the strengths and interests of the child?
• Does the child have any current medical or behavioural diagnoses?
• What is the child's current emotional state?
• What school does the child currently attend?
• What services are currently involved with the child and what will be your role with these services?
• Could the child pose a safety risk to members of my household? And if so are my contact details being withheld at this time
• Why do you think that our family is a good match for this child?

Making a decision

This is the time to be open with your family and your agency. It is important to:

• discuss the proposed care arrangement with your partner and, if relevant, other children in the household, and take their views into account before making a decision
• give thought to any upcoming events in your family's life and how this may impact on the proposed placement – such as a family holiday, interstate visitors, a change in employment demands
• identify any practical issues and whether adjustments may be required – such as sleeping and transportation
• ask for additional information, especially if it will be critical to your final decision to accept or decline the proposed placement
• consider your experience and skills and whether there may be additional supports or training that would assist you to acquire the confidence, knowledge and skills
• discuss any reservations with your agency so that these can be considered and addressed together.

If the 'fit' and circumstances are not right for you and your family at the time, and you say 'yes', it could end up resulting in the child having an unplanned move, and this can badly affect the child's wellbeing and feelings of self-worth.

Provision of placement information to parents

Before placing a child in your care, Child Safety is required by law to inform the child's parents about where and with whom the child is placed, and the reasons for this decision. The parents may be provided with:

• full placement details – such as your name and address
• partial information – for example, partial name and location details, such as your first name and suburb
• information that may be withheld – such as providing only the name of the city or town.

Child Safety will assess whether there may be significant risks to the child, you and your family, and/or other household members, if full placement details were to be provided to the child's parents. Your views are critical to this decision. The placement of the child cannot proceed (or continue) if you and Child Safety do not agree on what information can be provided to the child's parents.

If the parent or the child does not agree with Child Safety's decision to place the child in your care, they can lodge an appeal to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Accepting the care of a child

We want the child to have the best possible opportunity to fit in well with your family. Where possible, the Child Safety Officer will assist in preparing the child and this may include:

• providing the child with information about you and other household members, such as showing them photographs of you and your home
• arranging a pre-placement visit so that you can meet each other, if circumstances permit.

Keep in mind that sometimes Child Safety may only have limited information about a child, particularly where the child is entering care for the first time in emergency situations. You will be provided with the information that is available to Child Safety at the time. As more information becomes available, this will be provided to you so that you are able to meet the child’s immediate needs.

Prior to the child’s arrival at your home, you can consider how to prepare and support your own children. It’s important for the child in care to have a right to private information about themselves, so it is advisable be cautious about what you tell your children about the child in care.

Documents you need

Child Safety is required to provide you with the information you need to know in order to meet the child’s daily care needs. This includes:

Authority to care form

The authority to care form is used by Child Safety to authorise you to care for a child subject to a care agreement, assessment order or a child protection order granting custody or guardianship to Child Safety. It records the: 

• child's name, date of birth and gender
• type of care agreement or child protection order
• end date of the care agreement or child protection order
• start date of the child’s placement with you
• signature of the authorising officer.

You will be given the authority to care form when the child is placed into your care. You may need to produce this form when attending a medical appointment or hospital, and when enrolling the child at school or a child care centre.

Your authority to care for the child will not exceed the ‘end date’ of the care agreement or the child protection order recorded on the form, unless you are re-issued with another one with new end date. This occurs in circumstances where a Childrens Court makes a new child protection order, including an interim order, or where the parent extends the care agreement.

Child information form

The child information form incorporates information you will need in order to provide appropriate care for the child, and to ensure their safety and that of household members. You will be given the child information form when the child is placed in your care, or in emergency situations, as soon as possible after the child has been placed. In addition to the child’s basic details, it includes:

• essential health information such as current medications, dietary requirements, diagnosed medical or mental health conditions, missing or due immunisations, recent illness or hospitalisations, and name and contact details for the child’s medical practitioners (if known)
• essential information about the child’s behaviour, particularly any risks for the child or others, and any specific actions that may be required
• information about challenging behaviours including the identification of triggers that may escalate behaviours
• details about an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child’s clan, language, island or community group; people who support and develop the child’s cultural identity
• specific information about the child’s daily routine, food likes and dislikes, self-care and hygiene abilities; leisure and recreational interests
• schooling or day care contact information; matters relating to transport, attendance; employment information where relevant
• information about diagnosed disabilities and supports involved
• Medicare and health care card numbers and expiry date.

As new information becomes known about the child’s circumstances the child information form will be updated.

Other documentation

In non-emergency situations, such as where the placement of the child is planned, you can expect to also receive:

Document	Child’s circumstances
Copy of the care agreement	If the child is subject to a care agreement.
Case plan	Excluding a child who has just entered care less than 30 days ago; and for a child whose carer is their legal guardian.
Child health passport	If child has been a child in care for longer than 30 days or on a child protection order.
Copy of birth certificate	One will be requested by Child Safety when child comes onto a child protection order.
Medicare card or number	A separate card for the child will be requested by Child Safety when child comes onto a child protection order.
Placement agreement	This records the goals of the care arrangement; provides you with relevant information about the child; and the agreed supports and services to be provided.