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 care.
welcome to
Stretch-A-Family
Special Announcement
Stretch-A-Family and The Burdekin Association (TBA) are delighted to announce that the Inner West Out-of-Home-Care Residential Care Services formerly delivered by SAF transfered to TBA effective 1 July 2020.
Stretch-A-Family has been a key provider of Residential Care to teens in the Inner West since 1977, and while now is the right time for SAF to cease providing it, we take our responsibilities to the young people in our care very seriously, and have brokered a transition that is in the best interest of these vulnerable young people. TBA is a trusted community-based agency known for providing quality, client focused care.
A collaborative partnering transfer process means that the young people previously supported by SAF are continuing to be cared for in their homes as per their case plan goals and supported by staff who are familiar to them.
This transfer also ensures that vital accommodation and support can continue to be provided for vulnerable young people in the Inner West while providing TBA with an excellent opportunity to bring its considerable knowledge and experience of service provision to young people in the area.
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 care. We are based in Marrickville and have been working in Sydney’s Inner West since 1977 to restore lives, families and communities. We support foster carers across the Sydney Metropolitan region.
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. However, the number of children requiring homes far exceeds the number of registered foster carers. There are currently almost 17,000 children in care in NSW, and approximately 2,500 more enter care every year. Due to the shortage of carers, over 150 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 OOHC. 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
- 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, or would like your questions about foster care answered, 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
Permanency Support Program
Aftercare
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 usUpcoming Training & Events
June 20 & 27 - 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.