Child running in park with pet dog Child Safety Commissioner, Victoria, Australia    
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Children in care

What is out-of-home care?

Out-of-home care is a service provided by the Department of Human Services and various community service organisations to provide care to children who can not live with their own families.

There are currently two programs established by the Department of Human Services:

Home-based care
Home-based care is the current term used to describe care for a child or young person provided in a carer's own home. Home based care includes:
  • foster care
  • adolescent community placement
  • specialised home-based care
  • one-to-one home-based care
  • kinship care
  • permanent care (and may include adoption)

Carers are supported by a variety of community service organisations who are contracted by the Department of Human Services to provide home based care services.

Residential care
Residential care refers to a program of supported accommodation for young people who are:
  • unable to live with their families
  • clients of child protection
  • not suitable for home-based care services due to behaviour, significant needs or attachment issues

Community service organisations currently manage residential care services on behalf of the Department of Human Services, and are responsible for recruiting and supporting their paid staff.

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