Out of Home Care

Foster Care

Pathfinders’ Foster Care program provides safe, stable and nurturing family-based care for children and young people who are unable to live safely with their birth families.

Our Foster Care team works closely with foster carers, children, young people, families and the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) to provide individualised support that promotes safety, wellbeing, cultural identity and positive long-term outcomes.

Children and young people may require foster care for a short period while their families receive support, or for longer-term arrangements where it is in their best interests.

Pathfinders provides ongoing support to foster carers throughout their fostering journey, including:

recruitment, assessment and training
regular casework support and supervision
therapeutic guidance and advice
24-hour on-call support
access to respite and additional supports where required
assistance to help children maintain connections with their families, culture and community where appropriate.

Our Foster Care program operates across the New England North West and Mid North Coast regions of New South Wales.

Interested in becoming a foster carer? Visit our Become a Foster Carer page to learn more about the application process.

Intensive Therapeutic Care (ITC)

Pathfinders delivers Intensive Therapeutic Care (ITC) as part of the NSW Permanency Support Program (PSP). ITC provides therapeutic, trauma-informed support for children and young people with high and complex needs who are unable to live safely with their parents, relatives or foster carers.

The Intensive Therapeutic Care service model is designed to improve safety, wellbeing, stability and long-term outcomes by providing individualised, therapeutic care that responds to each young person’s needs.

Pathfinders delivers the following Intensive Therapeutic Care programs:

Therapeutic Sibling Placement Option (TSOP)

Intensive Therapeutic Care Homes (ITCH)

Therapeutic Supported Independent Living (TSIL)

Therapeutic Home-Based Care (THBC)

Intensive Therapeutic Care Homes (ITCH)

Pathfinders’ Intensive Therapeutic Care Homes (ITCH) provide safe, therapeutic home environments where children and young people receive 24-hour support from trained care staff.

Care staff deliver trauma-informed, therapeutic care that supports young people to build positive relationships, develop resilience and achieve their individual goals. Through consistent care, Pathfinders promotes health, safety, cultural and community connection, emotional wellbeing and independent living skills.

Our ITCH program supports young people to:

attend school and/or alternate education settings
meet their health care needs and access health professionals
develop independence and everyday living skills
establish hobbies and personal interests
identify and achieve individual goals
maintain connections with their culture, communities and families where appropriate
ensure their emotional needs are met through appropriate supports.

Pathfinders currently operates Intensive Therapeutic Care Homes in Armidale, Inverell, Tamworth and the Mid North Coast.

Supported Independent Living for young people

Supported Independent Living (SIL)

Pathfinders’ Supported Independent Living (SIL) program aims to prepare and assist young people living in out-of-home care.

The program helps to create a smooth transition to adulthood by providing young people with the opportunity to experience independent living with personalised support. It also equips them with important skills and knowledge for living self-sufficiently.

Our caseworkers and mentors provide intensive support to young people by:

helping to find a suitable place to live and arranging the rental lease on their behalf
informing them of their rights and responsibilities as a tenant
providing education, training and employment options
assisting them to furnish their home and maintain their property
developing their housekeeping and cleaning skills
planning easy, affordable and nutritious meals
guiding their budgeting skills to develop financial self-sufficiency, and
setting up their administrative needs, such as a Centrelink account, tax file number and doctor appointments.

Our SIL program is flexible and can be tailored to suit each individual’s requirements. As a young person’s skills increase, the SIL caseworker and mentors will gradually minimise their involvement. The young person will ideally have developed all the skills necessary to take over their lease independently at the end of the two-year program.

Making a referral

To refer an eligible young person to the Pathfinders SIL program, email NewEngland.CFDU@dcj.nsw.gov.au.
Once received, the Child and Family District Unit (CFDU) will determine eligibility and advise whether the referral has been approved or declined.

If approved, the referral will be forwarded to Pathfinders and an SIL coordinator will arrange a meeting with the young person to design a plan that suits their residential preferences and their educational or employment goals.

Interim Care Model (ICM)

The Pathfinders Interim Care Model (ICM) provides short-term care for children and young people aged 9 to 14 years who require a stable and supportive environment while long-term care arrangements are identified.

ICM placements are designed to provide children and young people with consistency, structure and individualised support, while allowing time for caseworkers to undertake intensive case planning, family engagement and transition planning.

Pathfinders currently operates four Interim Care Model homes across Armidale, Inverell, Tamworth and Port Macquarie.

While a child or young person is residing in an ICM home, Pathfinders works closely with the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ), families, carers and other support services to develop and implement plans that support long-term stability and positive outcomes.

Children and young people are supported by trained care staff who provide trauma-informed care tailored to their individual needs, while encouraging education, wellbeing, cultural connection, life skills development and participation in their local community.

Regular case reviews and collaborative planning help ensure each young person continues to progress towards their case plan goals and is supported to transition to the most appropriate long-term placement.

Young man cooking in a short term accommodation — Portrait of a young man cooking

Short-Term Emergency Placement (STEP)

Short-Term Emergency Placement (STEP) is a 13-week emergency placement program for young people aged 12 to 18 years. The placement is tailored for children and young people with high needs who cannot be immediately supported in foster care, kinship/relative care or Intensive Therapeutic Care.

STEP facilitates a 1:1 care arrangement for the young person, providing support to assist their transition to another suitable placement when one becomes available.

Pathfinders currently operates STEP houses in Armidale, Coffs Harbour, Forster, Inverell, Port Macquarie, Tamworth and Taree. We continue to build capacity across our service regions to meet the needs of children and young people requiring emergency placement.

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