The state government is implementing a new help desk service to assist carers navigating the children and family service system to access important information for children in their care, including birth certificates and Medicare information.
Care Support Help Desk is hoped to ease the administrative burden on Child Protection practitioners, who will have more time to engage with children, families and carers.
In a statement, the government said there are about 9000 children in kinship and foster care in Victoria on any given day.
“Backed by a $5.8 million investment in the Victorian Budget 2022-23, the new Care Support Help Desk has a team of 20 people supporting families across the state,” the government said.
Child Protection Minister Colin Brooks said kinship and foster carers do an “outstanding” job and deserved all the support they could get.
“Ensuring carers have quicker access to the information and documents they need will make a big difference for thousands of carers and Child Protection practitioners,” he said.
The new service, run by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, operates from 9.00am to 5.00pm on weekdays.
Details: services.dffh.vic.gov.au/foster-care or 1300 475 170
