Foster Care Abuse Claims

Foster Care/Out-of-Home Care Abuse Claims  

In Australia, foster care involves the care for children and young people who are aged between 0-18 years and who for some reason are unable to live with their families of origin. Subsequently, these children in line with child protection department policies are placed in private accommodation based on either of the following arrangements:

• short or long term basis by authorised carers in their own homes where the carer is reimbursed (or has been offered reimbursement but declined it) by the state or territory and is supported by an approved government or nongovernment agency;

• home-based care where the carer is a relative (other than parents), is considered to be family, or is a member of the child or young person’s community (in accordance with their culture). The carer is reimbursed (or has been offered reimbursement but declined it) by the state or territory;

• short or long term basis in a home owned or rented by a foster care agency, who is reimbursed for expenses by the relevant state-government child protection department who collaborates with the agency;

• residential care where care is provided in a residential facility, where children are supported by paid staff.

Foster care in Australia has existed since 1866 when it was introduced in South Australia and known as ‘boarding out’. In short, boarding out was established throughout Australia as a result of the poor treatment numerous children where receiving in private and state run institutions. The Royal Commission reported that in 2013-14, five per cent of all children in out-of-home care in Australia were in a residential care facility, 41 per cent were in foster care, and 49 per cent were in kinship/relative care arrangements. The remaining five per cent of children were in other care arrangements, for example in a private board arrangement, tenant households, independent living or boarding schools.

Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

Between 2013 to 2017, the Royal Commission stated that information from over 4,000 private sessions conducted by Commissioners with survivors of child sexual abuse indicated that children who grew up in a care setting, both historical and current, comprised the largest category of institutions identified as places where sexual and physical abuse took place.

Furthermore, the Royal Commission stated that over 40 per cent of individuals who attended private sessions said they were sexually abused as a child in out-of-home care, such as in former children’s homes and in foster care.

Foster Care Programmes

Below is a list of some foster/out-of-home care programmes that have run in Australia within the last 116 years :

• Anglicare Emergency Foster Care Scheme (1989 - 1992)

• Anglicare Homesharers (1982 - 1992)

• Anglicare Teenshare (1991 - 2010)

• Catherine McAuley Centre (1971 - 1991)

• Children's Protection Society (1906 - 1994?)

• Communicare (1977 - )

• Mercy Community Services (Inc) (1997 - 2002)

• Methodist Homes for Children (1922 - 1977)

• Mofflyn Child and Family Care Services (1984 - 2006)

• Westview (1981 - )

• Yorganop Association Incorporated (1986 - )

We are Experts in this Field

Moody Law has represented in the past and is still representing clients who were sexually and physically abused when they were placed in foster care/out-of-home care between approximately 1950 to 2010. We invite former victims to contact us to tell us confidentially what information they may have, and we will explain what options are available to help with these cases.

Private and Confidential

Claims against foster care agencies and government child protection departments are private and confidential unless you want publicity.  Usually, there is no need to include your family members or friends in the process.