Victoria is facing a growing foster care crisis. The number of children and young people needing out-of-home care is rising rapidly due to factors such as family violence, trauma, and abuse—yet there aren’t enough foster carers to meet this increasing demand.
Since 2018, the number of children requiring out-of-home care has surged by 14%. With fewer people becoming foster carers, the system is under immense strain, leading to an increase in young people requiring residential care.
How many children are in foster care in Victoria?
According to the 2024 Census Report, 584 children currently live in foster care households across Victoria. Alarmingly, 37% of these children are under the age of five.
Children in foster care also have a higher likelihood of living with a disability—62% of carers reported that the child or young person in their care has a physical or intellectual disability.
Why aren’t more people becoming foster carers?
Despite growing awareness and increasing support for foster care, the number of new foster carers continues to decline. Many people are hesitant to take on the role due to perceived challenges.
Among existing foster carers, the most common difficulties reported include:
- Managing a child’s emotional and behavioural challenges
- Feeling excluded from key decisions in child protection planning
- Financial strain due to an inadequate care allowance
While fostering comes with unique challenges, many carers find the rewards far outweigh the difficulties. In fact, 66% of current foster carers in 2024 reported that they planned to continue fostering in 2025.
By becoming a foster carer, you’re not only giving back to your community—you’re providing a vulnerable young person with the stability, love, and support they need to not only heal, but thrive.
Caring for foster carers is just as important
At Lighthouse Foundation, we believe that supporting foster carers is just as crucial as caring for the children in their homes. That’s why we’re committed to walking alongside our carers every step of the way.
When you foster through Lighthouse Foundation, you’ll have access to:
- 24/7 support: You’ll never be alone in your journey.
- In-home therapeutic support: Our expert Therapeutic Carers provide hands-on guidance to help you navigate challenges.
- Learning and development: Ongoing training, individual and group reflective practice to strengthen your skills.
- Community connection: Local volunteers and support networks to foster a sense of belonging, regular school holiday and community events
- Lighthouse’s Model of Care: A trauma-informed, attachment-based approach to caring for young people.
- Additional respite care: our unique model works by uniting foster carers around a central ‘Hub Home’ where trained therapeutic carers offer regular respite, sleepovers, access to trauma informed support and advice to the entire foster family.
When we care for you, you can better care for them.
I’m interested, how do I apply to become a foster carer?
Starting your fostering journey is simple. Enquire here to take your first step toward making a life-changing difference.
