Port Stephens MP Kate Washington urges families to consider foster care this Christmas

newy.com.au – Families across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Cessnock, Maitland and Port Stephens are being urged to consider becoming foster carers as the NSW Government launches a new statewide recruitment campaign on Thursday 20 November 2025.

The Minns Labor Government says more than 300 children and young people aged one to 17 currently need foster carers to provide a safe and loving home, with particular demand for carers for children with disability, adolescents and sibling groups. Officials say the shortage has left too many children living in high-cost emergency accommodation because there are not enough suitable foster homes available.

Minister for Families and Communities, Minister for Disability Inclusion and Member for Port Stephens, Kate Washington, said the campaign was a call to action in the lead-up to Christmas for people right across NSW, including the Hunter. “Children don’t get a second chance at childhood, so we’re urging everyone this Christmas to consider becoming a foster carer,” Washington said.

The government says the need is especially acute for sibling groups, with 37 sets of siblings in NSW currently needing foster carers, many with children aged five and under. The campaign highlights the importance of keeping brothers and sisters together where possible to provide stability and connection.

Washington said the campaign was designed to clear up misunderstandings about who could foster and the different ways people could help. “It’s time for some myth-busting foster care facts – you can be single, in a same-sex relationship, retired, rent or own your own home, kids just need people who care,” she said. “Fostering isn’t just long-term, we need short term, respite, emergency, and restoration carers too.”

The recruitment drive forms part of what the government describes as a record $1.2 billion investment in child protection, aimed at transforming the way foster carers are recruited, trained and supported. As part of that package, the Minns Government has introduced paid foster carer leave for public sector workers and delivered a 20% increase to the base Foster Care Allowance from 1 January 2026, the first real increase in about two decades.

The campaign will run across social media, television and print, and reach communities at major and local events. It uses real foster stories to show the different ways people can support children and long-term carers, including by offering care for just a few days or weeks, or by acting as restoration carers who support a child to safely return to their family.

Secretary of the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ), Michael Tidball, said foster carers remained central to protecting children who could not live safely with their families. “Foster carers are at the heart of our efforts to protect and nurture children who need stability. This campaign is about breaking down the myths and barriers that prevent people from volunteering,” Tidball said. “We need carers for sibling groups, children with disability, and adolescents – and we need people from all backgrounds. Our message is simple: if you have the capacity to care, you have the capacity to change a life.”

Tidball said DCJ was focusing on improving training and support for carers so they could concentrate on the children in their homes. “DCJ is focussed on better training, more support, and a stronger system so foster carers can focus on what matters most, the children and young people in their care,” he said.

Carers for Kids NSW CEO Renee Leigh Carter said her organisation was backing the recruitment campaign and would continue supporting carers on the ground. “I’m pleased to support the NSW Government’s foster care recruitment drive. Carers for Kids NSW supports foster carers, operating a dedicated helpline and providing expert advice, resources, and training for carers,” Carter said. “We are funded to provide carers with the skills and knowledge they need, so children and young people can grow up with the safety, stability and connection they deserve.”

People interested in becoming a foster carer can find more information at nsw.gov.au/fostercare or by calling 1300 770 240 from Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.