A lack of foster carers in Ballarat is forcing some children who have been removed from their homes to be cared for in hotel rooms.
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Berry Street western region deputy director Warrick Remilton said paid staff were taking care of children in hotel rooms because there were no suitable foster homes for them to be taken to.
The need is particularly great among primary school aged children requiring emergency or short term care.
“There are a lot of really unfortunate situations where kids are removed short term from a family situation, maybe due to family violence, and until things sort out these young people require someone to care for them and take them to school. Often there are not enough foster carers so they are placed in hotel rooms and paid staff go in there and care for them,” Mr Remilton said.
Mr Remilton said Berry Street, and all foster care agencies, desperately needed more carers to step in when children cannot remain at home.
The need is particularly critical in some smaller towns so children can stay at school and linked to their community.
CAFS foster care placement and support manager Melissa Riddiford said while there was an increased focus on having children stay with relatives, short term care was often needed before these placements could proceed.
“We absolutely need short term placements so we can work out where else these children can go or whether they can go back to mum and dad with support,” Ms Riddiford said.
Short term care may last from a few days to weeks.
READ MORE: Asking the hard questions about foster care
For some young people, particularly teens, moving straight in with a new family might not be the best fit.
“We have some kids we know struggle with the intensity of relationship that exists in a family-type situation, so having a night or two with a caregiver in a hotel might be needed, or sometimes we have no other option,” Ms Riddiford said.
“At the end of the day this is a child who does need a safe space to know where they are going to sleep tonight.
“There is nothing more heartbreaking than hearing from a young person that they don’t even know where they are sleeping tonight, so how can they possibly think about going to school, having therapy or all the other big questions when they don’t even know where they can have a shower and sleep.”
More than 4100 Victorian children live in out-of-home care including at least 120 in Ballarat.
