1.8 Caring for communities

Out-of-home care

Out-of-home care (OOHC) provides alternative care for children and young people who are unable to live safely at home. The child protection system has often failed to consistently meet the needs of vulnerable children and young people.

The Government’s major reforms aim to create a world-class system – one that supports children in stable, supportive environments, and enables recovery and restoration for more families.

Progress to date

These reforms have led to there being no children in unaccredited emergency accommodation as of April 2025 – for the first time in 20 years, and a 35 per cent decrease in the use of high-cost emergency arrangements since November 2023.

The system has also recruited an additional 240 emergency foster carer households to provide stable, carer-based emergency support.

New commitments

A $1.2 billion child protection package will begin the process of rebuilding the OOHC system and improving outcomes for the state’s most vulnerable children:

• $797.6 million to reform OOHC and continue support during the transition
• $191.5 million to recruit more than 200 and retain 2,126 caseworkers with higher pay and specialised training, including 100 new leading caseworker roles
• $143.9 million to provide an increase of 20 per cent to foster care allowances for the first time in two decades
• $49.2 million for 44 government-owned, purpose-built or upgraded residential care homes for children aged 12+ with complex needs
• $10.0 million for the Office of the Children’s Guardian.

Crisis accommodation, homelessness and community supports

• $20.0 million for crisis accommodation.
• $10.4 million to expand early intervention and homelessness services at the Bill Crews Foundation.
• $10.3 million for the NSW Food Transport Program to help Foodbank deliver food relief.
• Long-term certainty for non-profit providers through five-year contracts.

Disability support

• $8.5 million to fund disability initiatives and upgrade government-owned disability properties.
• $8.0 million for the Ageing and Disability Commission to continue its frontline safeguarding work.

These measures are in addition to the $4.1 billion in cash and in-kind contributions budgeted in 2025-26 for individual support packages and other services delivered under the National Disability Insurance Scheme.