Foster Care Models in Australia: Evidence, Culture, and the Marginalisation of Carers

Background:,Australia’s out-of-home care (OOHC) system is experiencing critical challenges, including rising child placements, poor foster carer retention, and high workforce turnover. Amid a privatised service landscape, non-government organisations (NGOs) have adopted diverse foster care models, yet little is known about their characteristics or evidence base.,Objective:,To identify and categorise foster care models currently used by Australian NGOs and assess the extent to which these models support foster carers.,Participants and Setting:,Sixteen foster care models were identified across Australian NGO providers operating within the OOHC sector.,Methods:,A scoping review was conducted using systematic search strategies across academic databases, grey literature, and NGO websites as of January 2022. Identified models were thematically categorised and analysed for origin, evidence base, carer support, and use of co-design.,Results:,Models were grouped into five categories: wrap-around, organisational culture, caregiver support, intervention/treatment, and professional care. Only seven of the 16 models had supporting academic literature; six were listed on the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare. Just one model involved co-design, and few explicitly prioritised foster carer support. Organisational culture models were common but often excluded carers from development and implementation.,Conclusions:,Australian foster care systems rely heavily on imported and unevaluated models, with limited inclusion of carers in design or delivery. There is an urgent need for co-designed, evidence-informed models tailored to the Australian context that centre the relational and practical needs of foster carers.