Family-Based Care
Why children grow best in families — and the forms of alternative care when a child cannot live with their parents.
Every child belongs in a family
Children develop best in a safe, loving family environment. When a child cannot live with their parents, the preferred response is care within another family — not long stays in institutions.
Forms of alternative care
Kinship care
Care by grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings or other relatives. Kinship care keeps children connected to their family, culture and community.
Foster care
A child lives temporarily with a trained and approved family that is not their own, while plans are made for the child's long-term future.
Residential care
Care in a children's home or institution. Residential care should be a temporary last resort, used only when it is in the child's best interest, for the shortest time possible.
Adoption
A permanent legal arrangement in which a child becomes a full member of a new family, carried out through the proper legal process.
Why family-based care matters
Children in long-term institutional care can miss out on the individual attention, stable relationships and sense of belonging they need. Family-based care supports healthy emotional development, learning and identity.
How you can help
- Support struggling families early so children are not separated unnecessarily.
- Learn about becoming an approved foster carer through the Department of Social Welfare.
- Treat children in kinship or foster care with the same love and respect as other children.