Foster care Agency

Stretch-A-Family (SAF) and Key Assets Australia (KAA) announced on March 23, 2021, that the SAF delivered Inner West Out of Home Care (OOHC) contract will transfer to Key Assets Australia effective 31st May 2021.
Due to significant sector changes coupled with SAF’s continued desire to provide an enhanced level of support and improved permanency outcomes for Carers and clients, SAF has decided to transition from providing OOHC.
This transfer process means that service and support continuity can be achieved for the young people, children, carers, and birth families currently supported by SAF, as they will continue to receive high-quality care as per their approved case plan goals.
SAF and KAA will work together to use their considerable knowledge and experience to ensure that there is continuing support for children, young people, foster carers, and birth families.
SAF and KAA share a commitment to quality care, innovative practice, and specialised support services.
Both organisations acknowledge the support and assistance provided by the Department of Communities & Justice (DCJ) and the Office of the Children’s Guardian (OCG) throughout this transition process.

More information:
Stretch-A-Family: Maria Maxwell, CEO – maria@stretchafamily.com.au

Key Assets Australia: Dr Dianne Jackson, CEO – Dianne.Jackson@keyassets.org.au

If you want to find out more about foster care, or becoming a carer, please visit the Key Assets or My Forever Family NSW website.

history of Stretch-A-Family

Stretch-A-Family, Inc. (SAF) was established in 1977. It grew out of the Young People’s Refuge (YPR), the first youth refuge in Sydney. Workers there began to realise that refuges could not meet the long-term needs of young people for stability and the development of life skills, particularly those under the age of sixteen. In 1984, SAF and the YPR mutually agreed to separate and YPR moved to a separate house.

SAF’s roots lie in the philosophy of offering homeless young people an alternative to institutional care. SAF has a history of working towards legal and social equality for young people and continued to work against all forms of discrimination and persecution against children and young people. Over its 40+ years of operation SAF developed a professional reputation for excellence and was highly regarded in the field of Out-of-Home-Care.

SAF offered Residential Care to teenagers from 1977 to 2020. In July 2020 the Inner West Out-of-Home-Care Residential Care Services delivered by SAF were transferred to The Burdekin Association (TBA).  SAF brokered a transition that was in the best interest of the vulnerable young people in their care. TBA is a trusted community-based agency known for providing quality, client focused care.

In May 2021 SAF will transitioned its Permanency Support Program (foster care) to Key Assets Australia (KA). SAF worked in partnership with Key Assets in order to create and achieve sustainable outcomes for our carers and the children and young people in their care through this process and to transfer them to an agency with similar values and purpose to SAF. Key Assets is a non-government, not-for-profit community services agency providing services across Australia to children, young people and their families, with a particular focus on foster care, family support and disability.

These two collaborative partnering transfer processes meant that the carers, children and young people supported by SAF continued 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 ensured that vital accommodation and support can continue to be provided for vulnerable young people in the Inner West while TBA & KA were able to step in with to bring their considerable knowledge and experience of service provision to carers, children and young people previously under SAF’s care.