Our Philosophy Of Care
The primary focus of Out of Home Care is the welfare and best interest of the child. Wesley Dalmar Out of Home Care is based on a belief in the worth of every child and young person. We aim to enhance their skills, opportunities, knowledge and safety in a family environment.
Wesley Dalmar Out of Home Care has three main aims:
- Provide a safe and nurturing environment for children and young people from birth to 18 years in the context of caring families
- Facilitate opportunities for children and young people in care to develop their full potential, becoming productive adults who are able to form meaningful relationships.
- Contribute to a reduction in the need for Out of Home Care
Wesley Dalmar believes in the value of all family members. Meeting the needs of the child in care will include acknowledging the needs of their extended family and all members of the foster family. We make every effort to maintain the child’s close relationships with the people who are significant in his/her life including parents, siblings, extended family, peers, family friends and community. An aim of the program is, wherever possible, to facilitate restoration of the child to their family.
We believe that every child has a right to a family which supports their identity, language, culture and religious beliefs in a safe and stable environment. Every effort will be made to adapt programs to meet the needs of each individual child or young person.
Wesley Dalmar believes that children should be given every opportunity to grow up with the people they regard as family. These relationships are an integral part of the child’s development. Wesley Dalmar believes that the removal of a child from the care of his/her family should always be the last resort. Wesley Dalmar will only accept a referral for Out of Home Care for a child where there are no other options for safe secure family care.
Out of Home Care provides an integrated, holistic service that draws upon a wide range of community resources, together with foster care, to provide each child or young person and their family with support that builds on and develops their strengths and capabilities.
To ensure that every child or young person who is admitted to a Wesley Dalmar Out of Home Care program receives the most appropriate support to meet their best interests, each child will have an individual Care Plan. Children and young people will be given opportunities and encouraged to be involved in the making of decisions which impact on their lives and well being. We believe that quality foster care must be delivered on the basis of a team approach which is inclusive of the child/young person, his/her natural parents, carers and caseworkers. The integrity and accountability of this service is ensured through the provision of regular reviews of the child/young person’s care. Opportunities to attend these reviews are extended to the child/young person and all those directly involved with providing his/her care. The child’s views will be sought and represented when he/she does not attend the review.
Wesley Dalmar recognises that the foster family is the essential ingredient to a successful placement and is therefore committed to the support of its foster carers through the provision of casework, initial and ongoing training and encouraging them to be part of the decision making process.
We undertake an ongoing commitment to each person who comes into our Out of Home Care programs. This commitment includes the provision of support and information to people after they have left the program.
