Become a foster carer

Sometimes, tamariki and rangatahi need additional safe and caring people in their lives. As a foster carer, you’ll be providing a home for a child and become part of the village that supports them. You’ll have a nurturing relationship that helps them to believe in themselves, make sense of the world and experience aroha.

There are a variety of reasons why tamariki might need to stay somewhere else temporarily – be it for a weekend, fortnightly (commonly referred to as respite care) or a few months (‘short term’ or ‘transitional’ care). What the tamariki all have in common is that they need caregivers who can provide consistent and responsive care and want to be part of a team of supporters.

Why does a child need foster care?

All tamariki deserve to be safe and nurtured. Unfortunately, not all children experience this. Tamariki who come into our care are referred to us by the Ministry for Children (Oranga Tamariki). This may be because their parents are currently unable to look after them or because their whānau require some extra support to care for them. We may be looking for care for individual children or sibling groups.

We work closely with Oranga Tamariki who maintains legal responsibility for the child in foster care. They decide when tamariki require care, how long that care last for and are responsible for visiting the child regularly. Foster care is not a replacement for family or whānau, it is an expansion of the village of support around the child. It is important for tamariki to maintain connection with their whānau, even when living in a home away from home.

Why Barnardos?

Barnardos prides itself on the quality and level of support we give our foster carers. In 2022, our caregivers told us they felt they were respected, their expertise was valued, they got the information they needed, and we responded to them promptly. Our caregivers said their allocated Barnardos social worker was skilled, knowledgeable, available, responsive and visited regularly.

We offer learning opportunities to our foster carers through one-on-one reflections with their social worker, shared resources, group workshops, Barnardos’ own e-learning platform and connections with other training providers. We have a dedicated 24/7 phoneline. Barnardos considers our relationship with you to be a partnership, where together we work to meet the needs of the tamariki for whom we care.

Why become a carer?

By becoming a caregiver, you can play an important role in helping children stay connected to their families and communities while providing them with a safe and nurturing environment. And you won't be doing it alone - as a foster carer, you'll be part of a supportive community of caregivers, social workers, and other professionals who are all working together to help children shine bright. Whether you can provide full-time care or just a weekend of respite, your time and commitment can have a lasting impact on the lives of tamariki and whānau.

Who can become a carer?

Barnardos is inclusive and encourages applications from people from all walks of life, ethnicities and across all family forms. Our caregiver pool is made up of a variety of cultures, including New Zealand European, Māori, Samoan, South African, American and Indian. We have within our pool of caregivers stay-at-home sole parents, retirees, mother-grandmother paring, couples without biological children, large families and multi-generation households.

The most important attributes we look for in our foster carers are commitment, energy, a willingness to understand how to meet the needs of a child who has experienced trauma and the ability to provide a loving home.

Download the Auckland foster care information booklet (PDF, 1,330KB)

How to Apply

The foster carer application and approval process takes time. We're passionate about ensuring we have the right caregivers for the tamariki in need of care.

If you live in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland and would like to become a respite or short-term foster carer, call our office on 09 625 0550 or email aucklandfostercare@barnardos.org.nz to speak to one of our social workers. They’ll help you understand a bit more about whether becoming a Barnardos foster carer is right for you.

The next steps in the process are:

1. Completing the application forms we will send to you, after we’ve had our first phone conversation.

2. Once we've reviewed your application, we will visit you at your home for an initial interview.

3. If we agree together to proceed after your first in–home visit, your social worker will complete an assessment. Each of the assessment steps has a two-fold purpose: to help you learn more about foster care and decide its right for you and your household and, secondly, to inform the social work analysis that will culminate in a decision about Approval.

4. The Assessment steps include:

additional in-home visits and /or interviews,
attend a two-day intensive training with other prospective caregivers,
interviews with the friends and family who make up your support crew,
a range of safety and suitability checks as required under the Vulnerable Children's Act, including Police, Oranga Tamariki, medical and reference checks.

5. Once the safety and suitability checks and the assessment is completed, our foster care panel will make a final decision on your application.