Financial and Non-Financial Support to Formal and Informal Out of Home Carers

Abstract

No national data is available on the characteristics of carers but it can be found in state-based carer surveys or studies of foster carers. In NSW, for example, the average foster carer is: female; aged 48 years; part of a couple carer household; Australian-born; has completed Year 10 schooling (or equivalent); is not in the labour force; and has been fostering for five years or less. Kinship carers in comparison are: more likely than foster carers to be older; more likely to have lower incomes and to be in public rental accommodation; be reliant on Centrelink income support and less likely than foster carers to be employed, or to have a university qualification. Little is known about the exact number or characteristics of non-statutory informal carers in Australia. Most studies of kinship care indicate that the majority of informal kinship carers are grandparents, while others are aunts, uncles, older siblings and unrelated friends.