Foster and Kinship Carer Assessments

Strongly Kinnected provides independent foster and kinship carer assessments conducted in accordance with relevant legislative, policy, and practice frameworks.

These assessments are formal, evaluative processes designed to assess suitability for foster or kinship care arrangements. They are undertaken where an independent, structured assessment is required to inform decision-making.

Purpose of Carer Assessments

Foster and kinship carer assessments are used to:

assess suitability to provide care to a child or children
evaluate caregiving capacity within the proposed care context
identify strengths, supports, and areas requiring consideration
inform placement, approval, or review processes

These assessments carry formal authority and may be relied upon in statutory or court contexts.

What This Assessment Involves

A Foster or Kinship Carer Assessment may include:

individual and joint interviews with proposed carers
assessment of household composition and caregiving arrangements
exploration of motivation, capacity, and support networks
consideration of cultural, relational, and family context
review of relevant documentation and history
structured analysis aligned with assessment frameworks

Assessment activities are proportionate to the referral purpose and scope.

Kinship Care Context

Kinship assessments recognise the unique features of family-based care arrangements.

In kinship contexts, the assessment considers:

existing relationships and family roles
the capacity of carers to meet the child’s needs within the kinship system
boundaries, supports, and pressures relevant to kinship care
cultural and community connections

The assessment remains evaluative, even where family relationships already exist.

What This Assessment Is Not

Foster and Kinship Carer Assessments:

are not therapeutic support services
are not advocacy processes
do not guarantee approval or placement
do not determine legal outcomes independently

The assessment provides information to support decision-making; it does not make final determinations.

Types of Assessments

Strongly Kinnected offers:

Initial Foster and Kinship Carer Assessments
Renewal or Review Assessments

The scope of assessment varies depending on referral requirements and statutory frameworks.

Reporting

The outcome of a Foster or Kinship Carer Assessment is a written report that:

addresses the referral questions
documents assessment methodology and sources
presents evaluative findings
identifies strengths, supports, and considerations
is prepared for statutory or court use

Reports are completed independently and in line with professional, ethical, and legislative requirements.

Fees

Indicative fee range: $1,450 – $2,960

Fees for Foster and Kinship Carer Assessments vary depending on:

assessment type (initial or renewal)
number of participants
household complexity
documentation and reporting requirements

Final fees are confirmed following intake to ensure clarity regarding scope and expectations.

Engaging This Service

Before a Foster or Kinship Carer Assessment commences:

referral requirements are reviewed
assessment scope and authority are confirmed
fees and timeframes are agreed in writing

Assessments do not commence without clear alignment between referral purpose and service scope.

Important Notice

Strongly Kinnected provides Foster and Kinship Carer Assessments as independent evaluative services.

We do not advocate for applicants, provide legal advice, or determine placement outcomes.
Our role is to provide assessment information to support informed decision-making.

Request an Intake Discussion

To discuss whether a Foster or Kinship Carer Assessment is appropriate for your circumstances, please contact us to request an intake discussion.