THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

OF LONG-TERM FOSTER CARE

IN VICTORIA


A REPORT PREPARED BY

HELEN FALCONER

FOR

THE FOSTER CARE ASSOCIATION of VICTORIA


November 1998




Summary
Recommendations
Introduction
The Foster Care Context
Scope of the Study
Results
Conclusion
Recommendations
References

SUMMARY

Foster care is an integral and vital part of child protection in Victoria. With the closure of residential units and the transfer of state responsibility for children in care to the private sector and the community, home-based care has increased in importance. Foster care is provided by volunteers who receive only partial reimbursement for the everyday expenses of fostering. These expenses are compounded in long-term care by the duration of the placement and the demanding nature of the children's problems.

Children in long-term care can have a variety of additional medical, developmental, educational and psychological needs. Ongoing treatment is often necessary to overcome their early histories. Thus expenses for these children are higher than for others in the community, with some expenses likely to continue over the entire placement.

Studies also indicate that children in care are at risk of maladjustment in adult life and are over-represented among psychiatric, correctional, substance abusing, suicidal and homeless populations. This results in substantial future economic and social costs to the government and the community. One way of lessening this risk is to provide these children with stable and secure home fives, adequately supported by professional assistance where required.

In this research, rural and metropolitan care-givers were interviewed to ascertain the level and categories of out-of-pocket expenses they incur while caring for foster children in long-term placements. Rural foster carers were also compared with metropolitan carers to determine whether they have different and/or higher costs of care.

The findings indicate that all foster carers have considerable out-of-pocket expenses, particularly for dental and pharmaceutical care. They are further disadvantaged by inadequate, late or non-existent reimbursement of the costs they believe are the moral and legal responsibility of the Department of Human Services. Indirect expenses, such as wages lost through appointments for the foster child or access visits, are also important.

Furthermore, rural care-givers face higher costs than their metropolitan counterparts both in monetary terms and those associated with 'lost' time. This is due to factors associated with distance and the subsequent costs of travel and communication. Access to, and availability of, specialist health and some educational services is also limited in many rural areas. This, in turn, increases travel expenses.

A major finding was that care-givers have become long-term parents by default because of delays in the system which have extended the placements well beyond the originally agreed limit. Foster carers are then caught by their affection for, and obligation to, the children in their care. The decision to take on children long-term, therefore, was not informed by full knowledge of the financial commitment this entails.

This research has also shown that some carers are not aware of their entitlements. This is partly because of the lack of clear guidelines as to whether the foster care agency or the Department is responsible for certain items and under which programme these costs are allocated. It appears that each sector maintains that the other is liable for such expenses. Up to date and accurate information is not disseminated adequately and equally to carers. Thus there is uneven access to reimbursement which engenders resentment among carers.

Foster care is a much cheaper alternative to all forms of residential care, for the government. It is thus in the government's vested interests that long-term placements continue. The numbers of volunteers willing to take on these children will dwindle, however, unless they are given prompt and full reimbursement of their out-of-pocket expenses.

Recommendations

 

INTRODUCTION

Under the United Nations "Convention On The Rights Of The Child" to which Australia is a signatory, the government has an obligation to protect children from abuse and neglect. Furthermore, the State is responsible for the legal, mental and physical protection of the child where the family is unwilling or unable to do so.

In Victoria, the Department of Human Services (DHS) is responsible for Protective Services under the Children and Young Persons Act of 1989. Children are taken into care if substantiated physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse or neglect has occurred or there is the likelihood of significant harm to the child.

The government provides out of home care for these children in a variety of settings, ranging from foster care to rostered 24 hour care and the recently abandoned Flexipacks, which tailored care to individual high-needs adolescents. This is achieved through the devolution of responsibility from the Director-General of DHS to non-government foster care agencies, which are regulated and part funded by the government. In turn, the children are placed in the care of accredited volunteers, who are recruited and trained by the agencies.

These carers receive a payment from the state government for providing care to foster children. This is not a wage and is not assessed as income for taxation purposes as it is considered a 'partial' reimbursement for costs incurred (Australian Taxation Office, May 1997). In Victoria, the foster payment is universal and is scaled according to the age of the foster child.

Although part of voluntarism, foster care is in a unique position in that it is a twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and fifty two weeks of the year activity. It is more in line with subcontracted employment by the government except that there is no holiday pay, sick leave, superannuation or other benefits usually associated with paid employment. In fact it actually costs care-givers much in terms of both direct and indirect financial expenditure. This issue will be explored throughout this report.

This Research

Carers of children in long-term placements were interviewed to ascertain the level and categories of out-of-pocket expenses they incur. In addition, rural and metropolitan care-givers were compared to discover whether rural foster families' expenses were different from and/or higher than metropolitan carers. Finally, recommendations to improve this situation are included in the report.


Government Costs

Foster care is less expensive for the government than other forms of residential care. For example, the per capita cost per week of a child in foster care was approximately 24% that of a child in 24 hour rostered care and 34% of one in a family group home (DHS Annual Reports). Even allowing for departmental funding to non-government agencies, the difference is still great.

A less recognised cost to the government is that of placement breakdown. In a Victorian study, one complete placement disruption 'episode' was conservatively costed at over $25,000 for the first seven months after the breakdown (O'Neill, 1997:42). This included worker time and accommodation for the child before replacement. The high emotional cost of disruptions will obviously be borne by the children, foster families and social workers involved.

Thus it is in the government's vested interest to maintain long-term foster care placements wherever possible.

The Costs Of Caring

There is limited information available on the actual costs of care to foster parents and the impact this has on foster families. This indicates the invisibility of these costs to both the bureaucracy and the community. It may, in turn, explain the lack of attention to this as an issue when placing or continuing children in long-term care.

Direct costs of children, however, can be measured by two different methods. Firstly, the 'basket of goods' approach is used to estimate the minimum cost of children at different ages. This method includes food, clothing, fuel, household provisions,' schooling (but not fees), gifts, pocket money and entertainment. It does not, however, include housing, transport, school fees or uniforms, child care, medical or dental expenses.

The second method, the 'expenditure survey approach', measures the total amount spent on a child, including medical and dental costs. Thus it is a more accurate reflection of actual financial costs for foster carers. It does not, however, account for economies of scale, which may occur when there are several children, or children of the same gender in the household.

By comparing data from the Australian Institute of Family Studies with current foster payments, the 'cost of care' becomes evident. As an example, the foster payment for a child aged 8 is $87 per week. The 'basket of goods' approach calculates the minimum cost at $53.92 a week, excluding the necessary additional items listed above. The 'expenditure survey approach' estimates the amount to be $218.50 per week per child adjusted for a single income family on the average weekly earnings (Family Matters).

Thus it is obvious that foster payments do not cover the everyday expenses of fostering children in Victoria. The situation is further compounded for long-term carers by the duration of the placement and the types of problems which children in long-term care often develop. This increases the costs figure, as would living in rural areas because of higher transport and food costs.

Indirect costs are more difficult to calculate, as they include the opportunity costs of the forfeited wages of the primary carer, if s/he is not in the paid workforce, and the lost experience and career advancement caused by time out of the workplace.

Because of space constraints, this report will not be considering the emotional, social and physical drain on foster families who are often caring for very demanding and challenging children. This area should be a priority for further research.

The Additional Needs Of Children In Care

Children in long-term care have a variety of additional medical, developmental and psychological needs. These may have occurred as a consequence of the abuse/deprivation suffered prior to placement or may be the result of being taken into care. Some of these problems may not be apparent at the time of entry into care and may manifest themselves several years later. For example, issues of abandonment and self-identity commonly arise at adolescence in children in care.

Furthermore, studies have shown that these children are more seriously affected than in the past and display more 'challenging behaviours'. Thus these children require considerable time, skills and financial resources from foster carers to overcome their early histories. In particular, these children need stable and secure attachment to a parent figure who will remain constant over time.


The Costs To The Community

There is extensive literature which indicates that abused children are at risk of maladjustment in adult life and are over-represented among psychiatric, correctional, substance abusing, suicidal and homeless populations (Brown, 1993 is one comprehensive overview). This results in considerable future costs to the government in terms of providing care, programmes, accommodation and increased welfare dependency. For example, the estimated annual direct costs of homelessness in government outlays is $5896.7 million on programmes and public housing (Sydney CityMission, 1997:5). There is also the issue of lost productivity from this generation and a consequent reduction in the tax revenue base.

In addition, there are considerable social costs to the community. Issues of law and order, with increased crime and community fear is one example. Another is the restricted life chances of children who are caught in the cycle of substance abuse and homelessness.

Thus it is in the community's vested interests to provide stable and secure long-term care for these children, adequately supported by professional assistance where and when required.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

A multimethod approach was used to gain a more complete picture of foster carers' lives. The techniques included semi-structured, in-depth interviews of metropolitan carers and a group interview with rural foster parents. In addition, a focus group of rural carers was conducted around the theme of 'Costs of Care'. Social contact was also made with both groups of carers separate from the interviews. I also attended five monthly committee meetings of the Foster Care Association of Victoria as a care-giver in addition to the National Conference of Foster Carers in Hahndorf, South Australia. Finally, information was sought from case workers and social workers to clarify entitlements and other technical matters. There had been some changes over the period of the study which had impacted financially on carers, such as guidelines on the safety standards for cots.

SAMPLE SELECTION

A convenience sample was used. The target group of long-term carers is a small sub-population of foster carers, who are, in turn, a relatively small group in the community. Because the sample size was small, it is not necessarily representative of all long-term caregivers.

The names of long-term metropolitan care-givers were supplied by the manager of a suburban foster care agency. Potential rural care-givers' names were provided by a central carer in the non-metropolitan area. A letter was then sent to both sets of carers inviting them to participate in the study. This was followed by a telephone call which explained the project and the time commitment needed. Each participant was assured that the information gathered would be confidential and their identities would not be revealed.

Interview schedule

A short questionnaire about the foster child was completed by the participants prior to the interview. This gave information about the original and current status of the child and any disabilities the child had.

The interviews were flexible, changing according to the directions which interested the participants and which were relevant to their particular situations. This allowed for topics to be expanded or explained in detail so that there were no misunderstandings. Some carers were also contacted again later to clarify information. The interviews were audio taped and later analysed for common themes and patterns.

The focus group was arranged by a social worker from the rural area and was conducted with members of a support group for long-term carers. This was a general discussion about the costs associated with distance which are specific to rural carers. It also included comments on the personal costs of fostering, including the lack of recognition, poor 'employment' conditions and inadequate relief. This was compared unfavorably with paid departmental carers' conditions. On a separate occasion, many of the same care-givers were interviewed in a group setting. This took the form of a broad discussion of the areas of costs and specific expenses which individual carers experienced. This was also audio taped and later analysed.

RESULTS

There were several recurring themes throughout this study. Although they were not directly related to out-of-pocket expenses, they are vital in understanding foster carers' experiences.

Firstly, there is an assumption that care-givers take on the role of long-term parents as a result of an informed decision with full knowledge of the costs to themselves and their families. This study has shown that carers have become 'long-term parents by default'. This has occurred because of delays in the system which have resulted in the children staying with the foster families well beyond the originally agreed time limit. This can occur if the family of origin appeal the decision; their circumstances change; they do not have legal representation; they do not attend the court proceedings; or if there is a dispute between the parent/s and/or other members of the extended family willing to care for the child. It also occurs because of bureaucratic mismanagement.

Secondly, it is assumed that foster care is provided by two-parent, one-income families, with a male breadwinner and a 'stay at home' mother. This then implies that the families can afford the extra costs of fostering, both in terms of everyday costs and the long-term expenses because the husband's income is sufficient so that the wife does not have to be in the paid workforce. Instead, she is a source of free labour for the State, doing the caring tasks for which it would otherwise have to pay.

The findings in this study and others would indicate that this family structure is no longer the norm in fostering. There are more single carers, more women in the part-time paid workforce and more unemployed couples than in previous years. They were most likely married and in paid employment when first fostering, but their circumstances have changed in the intervening period. Many high income household units such as single, full-time business executives, or married salaried professionals with no children, do not volunteer for foster care work in the first place.

The final assumption is that care-givers are aware of their entitlements and know who to approach for reimbursement. This is not supported by this research. There appears to be a lack of clear guidelines as to whether the foster care agency or the Department (or a separate section such as Intellectual Disability Services) is responsible for certain items and under which programme these costs are allocated. Each sector maintains that the another is liable for such expenses. This confusion is further complicated by up-to-date and accurate information not being disseminated adequately or equally to all carers. Thus there is uneven access to reimbursement which engenders resentment among carers.

Related to this is the issue of inadequate reimbursement of agreed costs. An example was cited by a care-giver who was 'reimbursed' for travel expenses for medical appointments for an additional needs child she was fostering after the thirteen month placement had ended. Not only was the payment considerably late, but the Department 'bargained down' the written figure agreed to at the beginning of the placement.

THE ACTUAL 'COST OF CARE'

As outlined previously, foster families in Victoria incur costs which are not covered by foster payments. This situation is compounded for long-term carers by the duration of the placement and the types of problems which children in long-term care may develop.

COMPARISON OF RURAL AND METROPOLITAN CARE-GIVERS

This research has shown that rural care-givers have higher out-of-pocket expenses than their metropolitan counterparts. These costs are directly related to the distance they live from services.

Transport Costs

Rural care-givers often travel greater distances for activities associated with fostering. For example, they travel for access visits with the children's families of origin; for specialist appointments (which are usually in major towns); for meetings with caseworkers or social workers; for negotiations with government departments; for training sessions and for support groups. Recreational and sporting activities for the foster children are also often some distance from home.

Secondly, the cost of fuel in the country is considerably higher than in metropolitan areas. Petrol and diesel prices, wear and tear on vehicles and the distances covered all contribute to make this a higher percentage of family expenditure than for most metropolitan carers.

Finally, rural carers pay higher prices for basic items such as food because of low turnover of retail goods and high freight charges.

Communication Costs

In Melbourne, most services such as social workers, educational institutions, health workers and government departments, are accessible at the cost of a local call (even when placed "on hold"). For rural carers, many services are community calls, charged in three minute blocks, or STD calls, charged on both distance and length of call. For example, caseworkers and social workers are based in major towns or cities, and head offices of departments are in regional centres. Care-givers mentioned the difficulties in contacting the appropriate worker at the Department and the frustration of calls not being returned. Another described the resentment at being placed "on hold", while the seconds, and dollars, ticked away.

In another twist related to distance, most workers use, and are contactable through, mobile telephones as they are often 'on the road'. Metropolitan case workers are more often based at their agencies and can be contacted or messages left at their offices, which are manned during business hours. A pager system is available to reach workers out of hours. Mobile phones are then only used by metropolitan workers for emergencies. In contrast, branches of rural agencies may not be staffed each day or all day, so carers have to leave messages; ring the central agency in another town or pay for mobile telephone calls.

Availability/Accessibility of Services

In cities, services such as psychiatric care are usually contactable through a local telephone call. In rural areas, "Psych Services", as they are known, are now limited. They are often based in regional centres and will not travel beyond certain boundaries. This creates difficulties for carers whose foster children need urgent care. When crises occur, again the issue is of cost - perhaps an STD call to a mobile phone and then travelling some distance to meet assistance.

Allied to this issue is the rationalisation, privatisation and restructuring of public services. Closures in health and education facilities and regionalisation of facilities previously provided locally, were mentioned by some rural carers. According to them, this has resulted in more strain on services being provided; reduced services or increased time and/or cost to access those services. Transport and distance then become the issue, with carers having to travel an hour or more each way for specialists' appointments. In one case, a two night stay in another town was needed while the child had an ear operation. The foster parent chose this inconvenient option in preference to waiting another six months for the procedure to be done locally.

Increased Indirect Costs

Because of the distance and time involved, and as it is usually the foster carer who drives the child, a whole day may have to be set aside for activities associated with fostering. This may represent a day's lost wages, not to mention the time wasted. In contrast, distances and times are usually less in metropolitan placements. Furthermore, depending on circumstances, caseworkers or other volunteers will often transport children to access visits or specialists.

Education

Some rural carers also have to provide transport for their foster children to attend local schools, or pay for fares where buses are available. If the child has behavioural difficulties, this can mean extra trips to the school for parent-teacher meetings or to collect the child when s/he is suspended. It could be argued that metropolitan carers face similar costs. However the accessibility, particularly of primary schools, in suburban Melbourne means that many children are able to walk to school. In addition, public transport is more easily available to metropolitan carers and because distances are shorter, is often less expensive.

Agency Costs

Rural agencies are funded on the same basis as metropolitan agencies. Administrative costs, however, are higher because the budget has to encompass overheads associated with distance, such as telephone/mobile cans and worker travel time to attend meetings and home visits. This, in turn, means that there are less discretionary funds available to assist carers.

Below are some costs which are common to all care-givers, regardless of their geographical location.

DIRECT EXPENSES

Dental Care

There was general dissatisfaction with the availability and high cost of dental care for children, who, coming from poor socioeconomic groups, had poor oral health. If they had Health Care Cards, children were eligible for free treatment via the school dental service or public dental clinics. Most carers supplemented this with visits to private dentists because of the time delays involved in public treatment.

Some carers had 'an understanding' with their private dentist, who charged a reduced fee for the foster child. Clerical staff and sometimes other patients, however, are then aware of the child's status as being 'different'. Secondly, the foster parent must still pay for the treatment.

Medical Care

Most carers used direct billing for the child either by private arrangement with the doctor, or by using a bulk-billing clinic. Several foster families chose  to attend a private doctor who did not use Medicare, but they did not expect to be reimbursed. Two families mentioned they had private health cover, although one of these families also had a Health Care Card because of low income. This family believed that the cover was necessary as one long-term child has special needs and another requires regular medical attention.

Specialist Care

The main concern expressed by those carers who had accessed specialist treatment was the delay in reimbursement. All expected that the Department would pay for the care eventually. In some cases, particularly if the appointments were regular, the doctor would bill the Department or agency direct. It was sometimes difficult to 'justify' that the child needed the extra treatment such as counselling. Some foster parents felt they really had to 'push' to get approval from caseworkers/social workers.


Pharmaceutical

This was a grey area for care-givers. The money outlaid for medication, both on prescription and 'across the counter' was relatively important for carers' budgets. This was particularly so if the child/children had chronic infections.

Some carers felt embarrassed to be continually seeking reimbursement for what they believed were small amounts of money for the agency/department to process. One carer was relieved when the family had reached the safety net for pharmaceuticals.

Two foster children had their own Health Care Cards, which reduced the cost per prescription dramatically.

Counselling

Some carers found it difficult to prove that their child needed psychological help. The exception was if the child had been sexually abused. Then counselling was automatic and swift. If the child did not have a recognisable syndrome or disturbance, some parents felt that they had to fight for psychological assessment or care for the children. Even if this was forthcoming it did not allow for the more 'hidden' difficulties common in adolescence for children in care, where issues of abandonment and self-identity may surface. Furthermore, those who wanted help for their child then had to pay for it. Where available, church and other low cost alternatives were found.

Education

The major area of concern and confusion for families with primary school aged children was: who pays the 'voluntary' school fees and who receives what proportion of the Education Maintenance Allowance? For upper secondary school aged children Austudy, and the reduced foster payments, was the major concern. Money for school excursions and other small costs was mentioned by many carers as an irritation.


INDIRECT COSTS

The major indirect cost for some carers was the lost wages for appointments, access visits or case plan meetings related to the child. For example, one carer mentioned having to change shifts to be available for appointments for the child. This was difficult to arrange and reduced her income each time. Another took unpaid leave to accommodate changes in the times of case plan meetings.

Other indirect costs mentioned were the replacement cost for items which went missing after access visits. Another was the lost opportunity of borrowing or purchasing items on 'special', such as clothing or equipment which were subsequently needed in a placement which then continued beyond the agreed limit.

CONCLUSION

This research has shown that foster carers and in particular, those with long-term placements, incur substantial out-of-pocket expenses. They are then penalised by inadequate, late or non-existent reimbursement of those costs. In addition, rural caregivers are further disadvantaged by their geographical location.

It must be emphasised that these care-givers are not seeking a wage for the care they give voluntarily to these challenging children. Nor is this paper about the separate issue of increasing foster care payments, although there is certainly a case for this proposition. This paper argues that the Department is responsible for these extra costs which are borne by the carers and which would be paid for by public funds if the children were in other forms of residential care. It is then a matter of devising methods of billing the Department directly for these costs, such as occurs with Family Group Homes, or providing full and prompt reimbursement to care-givers.

The alternative is a dwindling supply of foster carers willing and financially able to continue to take long-term children. It is in the best interests of the child that these long-term placements do not disrupt and that continuity of care is promoted. The future cost to governments and society of not supporting these children would also be far higher than the outlays proposed.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Listed below are several proposals designed to alleviate some of the additional expenses incurred by foster parents.

Rural Care-givers

Rural care-givers have higher out-of-pocket expenses than metropolitan carers. This is directly related to the costs associated with distance: transport; communication; high prices; and the availability/accessibility of services. A supplement to the foster payment could be paid to all carers in areas outside Melbourne, Geelong and major rural centres in recognition of these everyday expenses.

Funding for rural foster care agencies also needs to be increased to reflect the increased administrative costs of servicing the foster children and foster families plus the costs of liasing with distant government departments.


Medical Expenses

All foster children need a Medicare card in their own name, or alternatively be registered on the foster family's card. Although each child has a Medicare number, many carers commented that the lack of the card proved embarrassing or annoying. It also reinforced that the child was 'different' from others in the family, which was something carers wished to avoid.

Secondly, all foster children should have a Health Care Card in their own name. This would dramatically reduce the foster carers' expenditure on pharmaceuticals, give the child automatic and free ambulance cover and allow the family access to the Education Maintenance Allowance.

In the May 1998 Federal Budget, the Federal Minister For Health, Dr Michael Wooldridge, announced that foster children whose families of origin were eligible for Health Care Cards would receive a Card from 1999. This, however, discriminates against carers whose foster children did not come from one of these families. Health Care Cards should be available, without restrictions, to all foster children. This would also remove the inequities where one foster child in the family has a Health Care Card, but others do not.

Dental Expenses

A system could be developed to allow private dentists to directly bill the Department of Human Services for work done for foster children. One carer, not interviewed for this project, does bill the department, but other care-givers are either not aware that this is possible or else the particular carer has a special arrangement with her region. This again highlights the unequal dissemination of information about what can be claimed and from which sector.

A similar system could be developed for other medical and paramedical services needed by the children. The providers, however, need to be assured that the Department will pay them promptly when an approved consultation has occurred. Otherwise subtle pressure can be exerted on carers to pay the provider and then seek reimbursement.

Pharmaceuticals

A system could be developed for carers to charge medical items for foster children to an account at their chosen pharmacy. The Department would then be billed on a monthly basis by the pharmacist. This account could be added to the family's account for inclusion in the Safety Net provision.

Parenting Allowance

As discussed previously, the foster payment is not sufficient to maintain foster children, and is further compounded by the additional needs of most of these children. All foster parents, therefore, regardless of their income, should be eligible for the full Parenting Allowance for the foster child, or even the Family Allowance Supplement. This would assist to defray some of the expenses for those parents ineligible for the entire allowance. It would also make all foster carers level in their base entitlements for the foster child.

Travel/transport

Travel associated with fostering can be expensive, particularly for rural care-givers. Vouchers for petrol for agreed travel would be a fast and efficient system to circumvent submitting travel claims and delays in processing. Distances and values of the vouchers could be agreed upon, in advance, for particular placements. They could be purchased in bulk by the Department and issued by the foster card agency.

Child Care

Free access to public or private child care services for other children in the family is needed when carers have to take foster children to appointments or for access visits. This is particularly relevant in rural areas when distance from services means longer travelling times. Many localities have occasional care facilities or formal child care centres which have occasional care places available as part of their funding agreements. These could be utilised by carers and paid for by the Department, through foster care agencies.

Formal agreements

For some placements with special needs children, agreements are made between the carer and the Department/agency. These cover issues such as access visits, specialised treatment or equipment and the payment of out-of-pocket expenses incurred because of the child's condition. This system could be extended for all placements which continue, planned or otherwise, beyond six months. All parties would therefore be aware of their obligations and responsibilities, particularly with respect to financial arrangements and accountability.

Austudy

At fifteen, foster children are eligible for the full 'living away from home' Austudy Allowance. This is paid directly into a bank account in the child's name. In response to this, the State Government reduces the foster payments in the belief that the foster child will pay board to the foster family. If this does not happen, the foster carers are severely financially disadvantaged.

A system could be devised whereby the Allowance is paid into a nominated joint bank account in the name of the foster child and the carer. This account would be a trustee style account, similar to those designed for people deemed not fully competent such as those under psychiatric care. This could effectively limit the amount of money the child could withdraw per week. The foster parent would also be limited to withdrawing the balance between the original and reduced foster payments and any other agreed education expenses.


Guidelines

Clear guidelines need to be established to allow each party (the foster carer, the foster care agency and the Department of Human Services) to know








More research would be needed to ascertain how effective and how easy to administer the above proposals would be. It must be noted, however, that although each of the above is a relatively minor expense for either the state or federal government, it would substantially assist foster carers to maintain these placements.


REFERENCES

Armytage, P. (1997), An Overview Of Home-Based Services In Victoria, Protection And Care Branch, Department of Human Services, Melbourne.

Arthur, K. and Goeman, D. (1998), 'Someone Who Cares Conference Paper presented at AASR Conference, February, Ballarat Australian Institute Of Family Studies (1997-98), Family Matters, Melbourne.

Australian Taxation Office, (1997), letter to Foster Care Association of Victoria, May

Brown,H. (1993), Shadows And Whispers: Sexual Abuse Asnd Social Problems Among Young People, Youth Affairs Council Of Victoria, Fitzroy Goeman, D. (1998), 'What Goes Around Comes Around  ConferencePaper presented at AASR Conference, February, Ballarat.

O'Neill, C. (1997), Policy and practice implications of permanent placement Disruption, in Australian Social Work, Vol. 50, No. 2, pp 41-47.

Sydney CityMission (1997), The impact of homelessness, in K. Healey (Ed.), Homelessness, Issues For The Nineties, Vol. 71, The Spinney Press, Balmain.

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