Home and contents insurance

We encourage carers to insure their property and household items of significant value. An insurer will often consider a child in care as part of your household. This will usually cover the specific accidental breakages that are included in your insurance policy. We encourage you to seek advice from your insurer about how being a foster or kinship carer affects your coverage.

You should always comply with the disclosure requirements of your insurance provider, which may include disclosing that you are a volunteer and provide care to a child who is in the custody or guardianship of Child Safety.

Any changes to your insurance policy will depend on the views of your insurer and the terms of your insurance policy. It is best to talk to your insurance provider before starting the placement.

In situations where a child in care causes damage to or loses your property, or steals from you, you should make a claim against your insurance policy.

If you need assistance in resolving a dispute with an insurance company, you can call the Financial Ombudsman Service Australia on 1800 367 287 or visit their website.

Claims for property damage, theft or injury caused by a child in care

Depending on the circumstances, Child Safety may consider a claim to compensate you for damage caused to your property or contents by a child in your care. These claims are called ‘ex gratia’ payments. Ex gratia payments are discretionary, as there is no legal obligation on Child Safety to make these payments.

Claims for ex gratia payments will be considered if the child responsible for the damage, theft or injury is in your care and your insurance policies do not cover the incident.

Loss or damage to property

If the child in your care loses or damages your property, we will need proof of ownership to support a claim for property damage. This includes receipts, bank statements, or photographs.

You will need to submit quotations for larger claims, or the invoice, if the item has been repaired or replaced.

Child Safety will reimburse any cost incurred in acquiring written quotations, if the ex gratia payment is approved.

Replacement items will be of similar value and quality to the original item, wherever possible (e.g. an iPhone 5S will be replaced with the equivalent on the market of the same brand or nearest equivalent).

If there is damage to external doors or windows and there is an immediate need to secure the property, the incident must be reported to your child safety service centre (or child safety after hours service centre) as soon as possible.

Personal injury

For any personal injury, you will need to provide medical evidence of the injury.

Any costs incurred in acquiring the evidence of injury will be reimbursed by Child Safety, if approved.

Child Safety’s compensation payment will be based on your excess—the amount you are out of pocket after claiming a Medicare rebate and private health insurance gap (if applicable).

Some financial assistance to make up for loss of income may also be paid. Child Safety may also consider paying some of the costs of hiring domestic help, if your injury prevents you from doing household chores, or impacts your ability to care for the child.

Child Safety will not pay on claims of pain and suffering.

How to seek an ex gratia payment

The incident must be reported to your Child Safety Officer as soon as possible.

For property damage, you will need to seek compensation initially through your home and contents insurance policy.

You need to submit your information supporting a request for an ex gratia payment, in writing as soon as possible.

Your Child Safety Officer can provide the application form and information about how to lodge your claim. This will ask you to provide:

• information detailing the incident that led to the property damage, loss or theft:
• proof of the damage or loss that has occurred
• proof of the ownership of the item damaged or stolen
• proof to substantiate the amount owning you are claiming
• police crime number (for theft)
• proof that other avenues of compensation were rejected (e.g. rejected insurance claim).

There are limits to the amount of compensation that can be provided.