A new independent advocacy and support service for kinship and foster carers is set to be established, helping to support individuals described as the "backbone of out-of-home care".
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The service, named the kinship foster carer advocacy service, will provide carers with independent and autonomous assistance, at arm's length of government and non-government providers.
It will support carers working in the out-of-home care system, and is part of the government's five-year strategy of reform.
Carers ACT, who will run the service, welcomed the announcement, saying it was the first of its kind in the ACT.
Chief executive officer Dee McGrath said it would help carers who support about 600 children in out-of-home care.
"It's an important initiative and it means kinship and foster carers now have an independent advocacy service to provide them with a voice when communicating with foster care agencies, the Child and Youth Protection Services, and other relevant organisations," she said.
"Carers ACT sees this new advocacy service as an extension of the support we have provided for over twenty years to carers who care for family members and friends with a disability, a chronic condition, mental health issues, drug and alcohol dependency or who are frail aged."
Children and Young People Minister Chris Bourke said kinship and foster carers were the "backbone of our out-of-home care system", and needed proper support.
"This new service is just one of the ways we are improving support for carers under A Step Up for Our Kids, the ACT government's five-year strategy to reform the out-of-home care system," Dr Bourke said.
