Kinship Care South Australia: Requirements, Payments, and What to Expect
You probably did not plan to become a carer. A phone call from the Department for Child Protection, a conversation with a family member in crisis, or an urgent request from a social worker changed the equation overnight. Now a child who is related to you — or who you have known for years — needs somewhere safe to live, and you are the person they are asking.
Kinship care in South Australia is the most common form of out-of-home care in the state, which reflects the legislative priority under the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017 to keep children within their family and community networks wherever it is safe to do so. But common does not mean simple. Kinship carers often receive less preparation than general foster carers precisely because they enter the system in an emergency — and this lack of preparation creates serious problems down the track.
What is kinship care?
Kinship care is the placement of a child with a member of their extended family or a person with whom they have a significant pre-existing relationship. In South Australian policy this second category is referred to as "significant other" care. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, adult siblings, family friends of long standing, and community elders all qualify.
South Australian law gives particular weight to family and community connections. Section 12 of the Safety Act sets out the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle; section 7 makes protection from harm the Act's paramount consideration. If reasonably practicable, the statutory placement order is: a member of the child's family; a member of the child's community with a relationship of responsibility for them; another community member; then a person of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander cultural background, as relevant.
How kinship care differs from general foster care
The most significant practical difference is how you enter the system. General foster carers self-select, attend an information session, choose an agency, and proceed through a structured timeline. Kinship carers typically enter in response to a crisis — a child who has just been removed and needs a placement immediately, sometimes within hours.
This emergency context means kinship carers may provide care before they have been fully assessed and approved. Under section 77 of the Act, the Chief Executive may place a child with a non-approved kinship carer by Temporary Placement when the statutory urgency and safety criteria are met. The placement must end as soon as an approved placement is reasonably practicable and cannot exceed three months; the full kinship assessment proceeds during that time.
The assessment process for kinship carers follows the same structure as general foster care — home study visits, DHS screening for all adults in the household, and mandatory preparation training — but it may be accelerated or sequenced differently to account for the fact that a child is already in the placement.
Requirements for kinship carers in SA
Kinship carers must meet the same core safety and legal requirements as general foster carers:
- All adults in the household must hold a valid DHS Child-Related Employment Screening clearance (the Working with Children Check). This is free for foster and kinship carers in SA.
- The home must provide the child with appropriate accommodation, including a spare bedroom.
- Carers must be in good physical and mental health, supported by a GP medical assessment.
- Carers must complete the mandatory preparation training, including the Safe Environments for Children and Young People one-day course.
- DCP assesses whether the carer can keep the child safe and provide a nurturing, stable, and secure environment.
Some agencies may consider kinship applicants aged 18+ in specific circumstances, but 25 remains the general standard. Practical assessments will also consider whether a grandparent, for example, has the physical capacity to manage the demands of caring for a young child or adolescent with complex needs.
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Payments for kinship carers
Approved kinship carers receive the same fortnightly base payments as general foster carers. Effective 1 July 2026, the rates are:
| Age group | Fortnightly base rate |
|---|---|
| 0 – 4 years | $524.60 |
| 5 – 12 years | $570.00 |
| 13 – 15 years | $771.60 |
| 16 – 17 years | $894.00 |
The critical distinction is whether the placement is formally authorised. Once authorised, kinship carers receive the same allowances as general foster carers. If a child is in a provisional or informal arrangement, confirm payment arrangements with the DCP or agency while the assessment proceeds.
Special needs loadings apply to kinship placements on the same basis as general foster placements. If the child you are caring for has assessed physical, intellectual, or behavioural needs above the standard baseline, you can request a loading assessment through your DCP caseworker. At the 50% loading level, a carer of a child aged 5–12 receives $746.00 per fortnight; at the 200% loading, $1,274.00.
DCP's Carer Support Payments handbook says carer payments are generally not taxed or listed in a tax return. It cites ATO Taxation Determination TD2006/62, which covers standard or basic volunteer foster-care subsidies and additional loadings or allowances, but not incentive payments or retainer fees. Eligibility for particular Centrelink payments depends on your circumstances, so ask Services Australia how the payments interact with your benefits.
The unique challenges of kinship care
Navigating family dynamics
Kinship carers care for a child while maintaining a relationship — sometimes a fraught one — with the child's parents. You may be the child's grandparent and simultaneously managing a son or daughter who is struggling with addiction, mental illness, or domestic violence. The DCP expects you to facilitate contact between the child and their birth parents while also maintaining boundaries around the child's safety.
This "dual role" is one of the most emotionally taxing aspects of kinship care. Agency support workers who specialise in kinship placements understand this dynamic, but not every agency in SA has the same level of kinship-specific support. When choosing an agency, it is worth asking specifically about their kinship care casework model.
Fewer support structures at the start
Because kinship carers often enter the system in emergency circumstances, they sometimes miss the information sessions, peer networks, and gradual onboarding that general foster carers experience. By the time they attend any kind of preparation training, they have often already been managing a child in crisis for weeks or months without the context of what to expect.
Connecting Foster and Kinship Carers SA (the independent peak body, formerly the Foster Care Association of SA) provides peer support groups and advocacy specifically for kinship carers. These networks are a significant practical resource — particularly for grandparents who are caring for grandchildren and who may feel socially isolated from carers of other ages.
Long-term guardianship options
An approved kinship carer who has cared for a child for at least two years (or a shorter period set by the Chief Executive) may apply to the Chief Executive under section 89 of the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017 to seek a Long-Term Guardianship (Specified Person) order. The Chief Executive assesses the proposed guardian and, if satisfied they are suitable, applies to the Youth Court under section 91. If granted, the order transfers guardianship from the Chief Executive to the approved carer or carers until the child turns 18. DCP case management stops, and the guardian makes most day-to-day decisions about the child's health, education, holidays, and other needs; birth parents retain some decision-making responsibilities.
This pathway is particularly relevant for grandparents and other extended family members who are effectively raising a child as their own and want the legal security to match.
Getting agency support as a kinship carer
If you are currently caring for a relative's child under an informal or provisional arrangement, contact one of the DCP-authorised agencies in your area as soon as possible. You do not need to wait until you feel settled or until the DCP has formally assessed your situation. The sooner you are connected with an agency, the sooner you receive:
- A dedicated Carer Support Worker who visits your home regularly
- 24-hour emergency support through the carer support service, plus DCP's after-hours line on 13 16 11
- Formal DHS screening for all adults in the household
- Connection to the financial payment system
- Referrals to specialist services for the child
The SA system is designed to support kinship placements — but it requires you to engage with the formal pathway to access that support.
The South Australia Foster Care Guide covers both kinship and general foster care pathways, including how to navigate the DCP assessment process when a child is already in your care.
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