Foster care Agency
Stretch-A-FamilyStretch-A-Family, Inc. is a non-profit foster care agency & a registered charity. We offer safe homes for vulnerable children and young people aged 0-17 years through foster and residential care.
welcome to
Stretch-A-Family
who we are
Stretch-A-Family, Inc. is a non-profit foster care agency & a registered charity. We provide therapeutic Out-of-Home-Care (OOHC/foster care) services for children and young people who are unable to live with their birth families. We offer safe homes for vulnerable children and young people aged 0-17 years through foster and residential care. We are based in Marrickville and have been working in Sydney’s Inner West since 1977 to restore lives, families and communities.
We are a small organisation but are thoroughly committed to the work we do. Currently we have over 60 children placed with carers in our foster care program and offer 12 places to young people through our residential care program. However, the number of children requiring homes far exceeds the number of registered foster carers. There are currently almost 20,000 children in care in NSW, and approximately 2,500 more enter care every year. Due to the shortage of carers, over 100 children are placed in alternative arrangements such as motels each night.
Stretch-A-Family is administered by a community-based voluntary Management Committee Board made up of professionals who have knowledge and interest in issues surrounding out of home care. Find out more about SAF
SAF is an Income Tax Exempt Charity and all donations to Stretch-A-Family over $2 are tax deductible (ABN 99 897 792 897).
WHAT WE DO
As an accredited non-government agency with the Office of the Children’s Guardian, SAF delivers a comprehensive, therapeutic and inclusive environment that promotes the well-being of children and young people through:
- Facilitation of family reconciliation (restoration)
- Specialist Foster Care
- Foster to Adopt, and Foster to Guardianship programs
- Medium-long term residential care
- After Care services to support young people who leave Out-of-Home-Care with SAF until the age of 25
Are you considering becoming a foster carer? We are located in the Inner West, but recruit, train and support foster carers from across Sydney. There are many types of care available, and you can help out from one weekend a month through to supporting a child till they leave care as a young adult. Many more people are eligible to apply than think they are.
If you feel ready to take the next step, fill out an enquiry form & we will contact you very soon, or call us now on 9569 6933 and ask to speak to a member of the foster care recruitment team.
SAF acknowledges the traditional custodians of country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to the Elders, both past, present and emerging.
What we do
Our Services
Foster Care
We help vulnerable children aged 0-17 years find stable, supportive homes with foster carers that we recruit, train and support from across the Sydney metropolitan area.
Permanency Support Program
We help vulnerable children and young people find a permanent home through supported restoration, open adoption or guardianship.
Residential Care
We run four residential homes for vulnerable teens where we help them develop themselves with the goal of living independently when they leave care.
Aftercare
We run a self-funded Aftercare program so that we can continue to provide support to any child or young person who has ever been in our care up until 25 years of age.
What Drives Us
Our Mission
We restore by:
Enabling the people we support to achieve their full potential
Securing permanent homes for children and young people
Creating strong and resilient families
Building the capacity of communities
Get Involved
The best way to get involved with the work of Stretch-A-Family is to become a foster carer but we know that is not an option for everyone…
We want to hear from you!
We care about doing things well, and improving wherever we can. Please share your feedback with us
Upcoming Training & Events
Sept 2 - Foster Care Q&A
6pm – 8pm Come and hear from current carers about the realities of foster care at the PJ Ferry Reserve Community Centre in Allawah
TBA - Shared Lives Training
All Day Two full days of training for potential foster carers that incorporate the latest research on understanding developmental trauma and repair parenting. It also gives carers tools for developing positive working relationships with parents and families and covers the different permanency pathways for children.