Abstract

Australian Journal of Social Work VOLUME 16, NUMBER 2 The Need for Revaluation and Assessment of Australian Foster Care Programmes HAZEL SMITH 1 with an active foster home programme to meet FOSTER home care for children has its roots the needs of parents who for one reason or deep in antiquity. Even the official use of another feel the children have to be placed. By foster homes by government child welfare far the greatest number of voluntary place- agencies pre-dates by sixty years or more the ments are in large aggregate institutions. Private knowledge we now have of the meaning of foster homes do exist, and the individual states maternal deprivation to a child and the im- have legislative provision that any person car- portance of mothering to a child's emotional ing for a child, usually under the age of seven, and social development. Yet, despite the fact who is not a blood relative, has to be licensed that Australia was one of the first countries in by the government department concerned. How- the world to introduce a boarding out payment ever, unless these homes are occasionally used to foster parents, and despite the fact that re- by a