Spiritus TRACC Gold Coast

Since the 1800s, Tufnell Residential and Community Care -- known as ‘TRACC’ --
have been providing services for children.

Spiritus TRACC Gold Coast provides care for children and young people up to age 18 who are unable to live with their own families for a period of time.  This is achieved through Foster Carers, who are families caring for a child or young person in their own home and supported by the TRACC Gold Coast team.

TRACC Gold Coast Foster & Kinship Care provides placements for children and young people in the Gold Coast.

TRACC Gold Coast Specialist & Intensive Foster Care provides placements for children and young people with high to complex needs referred by the Department of Child Safety.

We care for:

•    Children under the guardianship and/or custody of the Department of Child Safety.
•    Children and young people at risk of coming into care.

Keeping foster families in local areas

Keeping children in their local community helps reduce the trauma they experience when separated from their families, and also helps increase the chances of the family being reunited.

By having families in each of the areas serviced by Spiritus TRACC Gold Coast, we can significantly reduce the trauma felt by the children and young people we place into care.

Spiritus TRACC Gold Coast needs Carers for children & young people 0-18yrs.  The Gold Coast Zone is a wide-ranging one, so we welcome enquiries from wherever you might be!

Foster Carers

Carers will take a child or young person into their own home for a period of a few days, months or years. They may also take a child or young person into their own home for a holiday period.

Carers often have contact with the child’s family too because, no matter how long the young person is in their care, it is still important that the children and family remain in contact.

Sometimes the Carer’s job is difficult, because some children and young people needing Foster Care will have been traumatised and can display difficult behaviour. All are grieving and feel confused by the changes in their life. These changes, coupled with developmental pathways and transitions, do make life for a child or young person very challenging … your journeying with them will be invaluable!

Training and support for Foster Carers

• All Foster Carers attend our ‘Quality Care Training’ and, following this introductory course, TRACC Gold Coast provides ongoing training and support
• Foster Carers meet at support group meetings and are in regular contact with their designated TRACC Gold Coast Foster Care Support Worker 
• The TRACC Gold Coast team is on-call to talk to you day and night, seven days a week -- we value our Carers!

Becoming a Foster Carer

Carers can be single, or married or unmarried couples.  They may have no children or several children.  Carers can be young adults, middle-aged or older adults.

While there is no ‘perfect’ foster family, Carers do need to be sensitive to the needs of the children, and have plenty of energy, time, commonsense, good humour, flexibility and ‘stickability’!

They need to be available to attend meetings, and Specialist Carers receive intensive support, as well as a higher fostering allowance.

Most people wanting to become Foster Carers have a love of children and young people, and a commitment to working with the child or young person’s family.  

To ensure that the children and young people are being placed in a safe and caring environment, potential Foster Carers undergo an assessment process which includes:
•    Household Safety check
•    Initial pre-service training
•    Criminal History and Child Protection checks
•    Traffic offences history check
•    Medical and health questionnaires
•    Referee checks
•    Interviews with our Foster Care Support Worker

Once these steps have been completed satisfactorily, the Spiritus TRACC Gold Coast team makes a recommendation to the Department of Child Safety about the potential Carers’ suitability for this vitally important role in our community.

More information

If you are interested in either Foster & Kinship Care program or the Specialist & Intensive Foster Care program or you would like to know more about becoming a Carer yourself, please contact us 
    
The foster care program gratefully acknowledges funding by the Department of Child Safety.