Foster care in Australia: The real costs and rewards of caring
Jun 2025
Written by Noel Macnamara
Foster care in Australia plays a vital role in the lives of thousands of Australian children, offering safety, stability, and a chance for healing. But behind every placement is a carer(s) — often an ordinary person making extraordinary sacrifices. A recent study by Haysom, Z., Shlonsky, A., & Hamilton, B. (2024) sheds light on the complex, often emotional world of non-related foster carers in Australia, and what it really means to care for someone else’s child.
Foster carers are frequently portrayed as selfless and generous. While this may be true, this study reveals a deeper, more nuanced story — one that balances intense emotional investment, personal and financial strain, and, at times, overwhelming isolation.
Through in-depth interviews with non-related foster carers, the researchers uncovered a pattern of profound commitment and perseverance. Many carers spoke of the joys of seeing a child grow, laugh, and thrive in their care. These moments often serve as emotional anchors, helping carers navigate difficult times. But these rewards come at a cost.
The personal toll of foster care in Australia
In the 2022–2023 period, Australia experienced a significant decline in foster carer numbers, with approximately 1,530 carers exiting the system nationwide. Notably, Victoria accounted for 551 of these departures, representing 36% of the total exits (Sandford, 2024).
Foster carers in the study consistently described the intense emotional, physical, and practical demands that came with their caregiving role. High levels of stress were a near-universal experience — particularly when caring for children with complex trauma histories, behavioural challenges, or high support needs. Many carers reported feeling ill-equipped or overwhelmed, especially when behaviours escalated or when mental health issues emerged. They were often left to manage crises in the home without adequate professional backup or timely therapeutic interventions.
A significant source of distress stemmed from the instability and uncertainty surrounding placements. Carers spoke about the emotional strain of not knowing how long a child would stay or when — and how — they might be removed. This unpredictability made it difficult to plan for the future, maintain routines, or build lasting relationships. Several participants shared the heartbreak of bonding deeply with a child, only to have them moved on with little preparation or explanation. One carer captured the sentiment vividly: “You love them like your own — and then you lose them overnight.”
These emotional challenges were compounded by systemic frustrations. Carers often had to navigate complex bureaucratic systems with minimal guidance. They described spending hours on hold, chasing caseworkers, and advocating tirelessly for basic support. Many felt sidelined in decisions that affected the child’s wellbeing — despite being the ones providing daily care. A common feeling was being “used but not heard.”
The toll extended beyond emotions. Carers described significant disruptions to their own lives, including reductions in work hours, stalled careers, and financial strain. Some had to give up paid employment altogether to meet the demands of caregiving, leading to long-term economic insecurity. Family relationships were also affected. Partners and biological children had to adjust to the intensity of foster care life, which sometimes created tension or resentment in the household.
Social connections shrank as well. Several carers noted that friends drifted away — either because of the time pressures involved in fostering or because others couldn’t relate to their experiences. Invitations stopped coming. Weekends were no longer free. One carer summed it up: “Everything else in your life has to come second.”
Yet, despite the magnitude of this personal toll, many carers felt that their efforts were invisible — unacknowledged by the systems they worked within and misunderstood by the public. They weren’t seeking praise, but they did long for genuine support, respect, and recognition.
The gaps in support for foster care in Australia
A strong theme emerging from the research was the inconsistent — and at times inadequate — support provided to foster carers. Many participants described a system that seemed to rely heavily on their goodwill and resilience, while offering minimal practical or emotional scaffolding in return. Access to essential services such as trauma-informed training, respite care, and mental health support was described as patchy, inconsistent across regions, or difficult to access when most needed.
Carers frequently felt their role was undervalued — essential to the child protection system yet overlooked in decision-making processes. Some recounted experiences where their insights about a child’s needs or behaviours were dismissed or ignored by professionals, despite their daily, hands-on knowledge. This left carers feeling excluded and disempowered, especially when major decisions — such as reunification, school transitions, or mental health referrals — were made without meaningful consultation.
The end of a placement was often a particularly painful and unsupported time. Carers described being left to cope with the grief, worry, and emotional fallout alone, especially when a child was removed suddenly or without clear explanation. The lack of follow-up or closure was especially difficult when the child’s future circumstances were unknown or troubling. This sense of abandonment by the system — after investing emotionally, financially, and physically — contributed to burnout and, for some, questioning whether they could continue fostering.
Overall, the study highlighted a system that too often depends on carers without fully supporting them, increasing the risk of placement breakdowns and carer attrition — outcomes that ultimately impact the very children the system is designed to protect.
So why do they keep going?
Despite the hardship, many carers spoke about a deep sense of purpose and fulfilment. Some compared it to a vocation — not something they chose lightly, but something they felt called to do. Others pointed to the relationships they formed with the children and the small (but powerful) victories: a child sleeping through the night, returning a hug, or beginning to trust. For many, these moments made the emotional labour worthwhile.
What this means for foster care in Australia
This research is a call to action. If we want to retain skilled, compassionate carers, we need to support them — not just logistically, but emotionally and socially. That means better access to trauma-informed training, reliable respite options, peer support networks, and recognition of carers as part of the care team around the child.
Foster care in Australia relies heavily on the resilience of carers. But resilience shouldn’t mean going it alone. Being a foster carer is a powerful act of love and service, but it’s not without its costs.
If you’re a carer looking for support, or a service looking to build capacity, explore our on-demand training: Ordinary People, Extroadinary Hearts.
This course was designed for foster and kinship carers to build confidence, strengthen trauma-aware care skills, and connect with real-life stories from carers across Australia.
This study reminds us that behind every successful placement is someone holding emotional weight, often unseen. To create a more sustainable and humane foster care system, we must recognise and respond to the real experiences of carers — the joys, the grief, and the quiet strength that lies in between.
Reference
Haysom, Z., Shlonsky, A., & Hamilton, B. (2024). Balancing the high personal costs and rewards in providing foster care: Experiences of non-related foster carers in Australia. Children and Youth Services Review, 158, 107312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107312
Sandford, S (2024) “Keeping out-of-home care strong in Victoria.” Report to Victorian Parliament.
