About the program

Modern slavery can take many forms and affect more Australians and communities than we realise. Women, children, refugees, people seeking asylum, and recent migrants including international students are most at risk.

Our SToP program works with multicultural communities to increase knowledge and understanding about modern slavery with a focus on forced labour, domestic servitude, and forced marriage. We offer in-language community education to help migrant communities recognise the signs of these issues and empower them to take positive action.

SToP is funded by the Attorney-General’s Department under the National Action Plan modern slavery grants program.

How we help

We run free sessions in various languages to help communities understand their rights, how to seek help, and what services are available.
Our approach empowers communities to understand modern slavery issues from a human rights and gender-based lens.
We tailor our sessions to meet the needs of diverse communities to build capacity and equip them with knowledge on support services and legal responses.

Who this program is for

  • Multicultural communities residing in NSW, Queensland and Victoria, including community and faith leaders.
  • We welcome everyone interested in learning more about ending modern slavery, including schools, settlement and migrant agencies, and any other groups.

Understanding modern slavery

Modern slavery refers to situations of exploitation where an individual is unable to refuse or leave due to threats, deception, and coercion. It is an abuse of power where the basic human right of freedom is denied.

Get in touch

For more information about the project or to run a free face-to-face community session around forced labour, forced marriage and domestic servitude, please contact our team. We’re here to help.

E: stop@ssi.org.au
P: 0403 224 019

About Care Finder

Our free service helps older Australians from diverse backgrounds connect to aged care services and supports. If you don’t have a carer or support person, we are here for you. We create a plan based on your needs and meet you where it suits you best – at home, in our office, or in the community.

SSI Care Finder Program is supported by funding from the Australian government through the PHN program (Primary Health Network).

How we help

We make a personalised care plan that fits your needs and give you information in your language.
We help you learn about and navigate the aged care system and set up support services.
We are with you every step to help you access My Aged Care, community services, and other support you need.

Who we help

  • Australians aged 65 or older from diverse backgrounds, including Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 or older
  • People experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness
  • Live in Logan region in Queensland
  • Require support to navigate the My Aged Care System and other relevant community services
  • Eligible for government funded aged care support

Get in touch

To learn more about SSI’s Care Finder program, please contact our team in Logan.

91 Wembley Road Logan Central, QLD
Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm
P: 0403 710 245
E: seniorconnect@ssi.org.au

Foster care eligibility quiz

Thank you for your interest in learning more about becoming a foster carer with SSI.

We believe children in care who are supported to stay connected with their ethnic background, language and religion better understand where they have come from and more easily develop their sense of identity and belonging.

Take our quiz and let us know at the end if we can provide you with more information about becoming a foster carer with us.

Our foster care service accepts carers living in parts of metropolitan Sydney and the Hunter – Central Coast area.

Take the quiz

Cross-sector engagement

The Centre promotes specialist and culturally responsive support to address the diverse needs and experiences of migrant and refugee women and their children at risk or, or experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence.

We recognise the critical role that support services play in ensuring migrant and refugee women and their children’s safety and promoting family safety in multicultural communities.

We collaborate with services across women’s safety, multicultural and settlement sectors to ensure that effective, safe and culturally responsive services are available to those who need them.

What we do

The Centre collaborates with services to strengthen culturally responsive domestic, family and sexual violence case management and support when working with women, children and families from multicultural communities.

We provide cultural responsiveness and inclusive practice expertise and support, as well as advice on cultural, community and migration-related considerations.

We accept referrals to ensure migrant and refugee women and children receive the specialist domestic, family and sexual violence support they need.

The Centre contributes to developing evidence on safety considerations impacting women, children and families from multicultural communities. We consult with communities and engage in research collaborations to inform the design and delivery of services, develop policy advice, and improve responses to domestic, family and sexual violence in multicultural communities.

How we can support

  • Consultation on complex cases and cultural considerations, and collaborative case management
  • Referral pathways for specialist support
    Capacity building and collaborative initiatives to support culturally responsive practice
  • Development of good practice models for enhanced service delivery
  • Community engagement and awareness raising on the drivers of domestic, family and sexual violence and available support services
  • Provision of population data and insights into emerging trends in communities.

Collaborate with us

Partner with us to promote safety for migrant and refugee women and children. Whether you seek expert advice on complex cases, wish to collaborate on research, or explore potential partnerships, contact us at safetycentre@ssi.org.au or 02 8111 7077.

Do you have immediate safety concerns for someone?

Refer to us

Are you a migrant or refugee woman at risk of, or experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence?

Read this in your language.

Click on an in-language resource to print.

Note for service providers: Please consider your clients’ safety when providing them with printed copies.

 

If you are in immediate danger, please call 000

 

If you need an interpreter, you can request one in your language when speaking to the emergency operator. If you need police to attend your home immediately, have your address in English ready to inform them where you are.

If you are experiencing violence, please contact us by calling 02 8111 7077 to speak to the Centre’s team. You can request an interpreter.

We are open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.

If you are calling outside these opening hours, please leave a message and provide your contact information, and we will call you back.

What is domestic, family and sexual violence?

Domestic, family or sexual violence includes a wide range of abusive behaviours or threats, both violent and non-violent, that occur within intimate (partner or spouse) or other family relationships, including:

  • Other family or household members
  • Carer relationships
  • Cultural and kinship relationships
  • Foster care relationships
  • Blood relatives who do not live together.

Examples of domestic, family or sexual violence

  • Emotional abuse
  • Physical abuse
  • Sexual abuse
  • Verbal abuse
  • Financial abuse
  • Technology facilitated abuse
  • Psychological abuse
  • Controlling behaviours.

Examples of abusive behaviour by a partner or family members

  • You are being called names or being spoken to in a cruel or offensive way
  • You are physically harmed or hurt
  • You are threatened that your visa will be cancelled, and you will be sent back home
  • You are not allowed to have your own money
  • Your phone is checked or you are stopped from talking to friends and family
  • You are threatened that your children will be taken away from you or will be hurt
  • You are forced to do sexual things you do not want to do
  • You are not allowed to practice your religion or culture.

We can help you and your children

The team can help you and your children. We respond with dignity, listen with empathy and offer safe, effective and confidential support in your language.

When you contact the Centre, you will speak to someone who understands you and can provide the assistance you need. We will provide you with information, advice and referrals to services best suited to you.

We will always prioritise your and your children’s safety and well-being.

Get help

Take the important step of reaching out to the Centre for immediate support. This brings you closer to a safer and healthier future for you and your children.

Contact us on 02 8111 7077.

About the Centre

The Centre promotes culturally appropriate, evidence-based and community informed responses to domestic, family and sexual violence in NSW, including in regional and rural areas.

We collaborate with specialist services and other support services to address the diverse needs of migrant and refugee women and children who are at risk of, or experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence.

Our tailored and comprehensive approach encompasses collaborative case management and support, community engagement and awareness raising, sector capacity building, consultation and research, development of evidence and good practice, and advocacy to drive systemic change.

We work across four focus areas: prevention, early intervention, response, recovery and healing.

Culturally responsive practice

We understand the importance of ensuring that domestic, family and sexual violence solutions meet the needs of communities in all their diversity. Our work is grounded in cultural responsiveness and informed by evidence and community insights.

The Centre combines expertise in culturally responsive practice and forms of violence that are more likely to affect women, children and families from multicultural communities, such as migration-related abuse, multi-perpetrator violence, dowry abuse, forced marriage, and domestic servitude.

We work with victim survivors and communities to address these complex issues. We also collaborate with services to effectively work with migrant and refugee women, children and families, and ensure culturally responsive support.

What we do

Individuals

We provide specialist, culturally responsive support to migrant and refugee women and children who are at risk of, or experiencing, domestic, family and sexual violence. This includes:

  • Support for the immediate safety of victim-survivors
  • Collaborative, culturally responsive and holistic case management
  • Support for socio-economic participation and community connection, and referrals to appropriate services.

Communities

We work with multicultural communities to support them with the knowledge and resources to effectively recognise, respond to, and prevent domestic, family and sexual violence. This includes:

  • Community engagement and education on the drivers of domestic, family and sexual violence and available support services
  • Empowering communities as social responders
  • Supporting communities to lead positive change in attitudes towards gender equality and healthy relationships.

Sector and service delivery

  • Expert advice and capacity building on cultural responsiveness in the context of family, domestic and sexual violence
  • Collaborative case management, particularly for complex cases
  • Promoting cross-sector collaboration and developing evidence to enhance policy and practice responses.

Be a chapter in their story

Become a foster carer

You can be a foster carer for as little as a day at a time.
Every moment matters.

For children in care, every foster carer becomes a unique chapter in their story.
Whether you’re their foster carer for a day, week or beyond, in the story of a child’s life, you could be the chapter that they cherish.

No matter the length, the time a child is in your care matters.

These stories of former children in care, who are now incredible young adults, are a testament to the impact that foster carers can have on a child’s life.

No matter the length, the time a child is in your care matters.

These stories of former children in care, who are now incredible young adults, are a testament to the impact that foster carers can have on a child’s life.

Make a difference on your terms.

Fostering can fit into your stage of life with opportunities to foster for a day, a weekend, a week, a month, or beyond.

Make a difference on your terms.

Fostering can fit into your stage of life with opportunities to foster for a day, a weekend, a week, a month, or beyond.

Step into the role of a foster carer and shape a child’s story for the better.

You likely already have what it takes to make a positive impact on a child’s life as a foster carer. We will be with you every step of the way, providing streamlined onboarding, in-language and on-call support, access to respite care, and financial assistance.

Get in touch

SSI operates the Multicultural Child and Family Program in NSW and Victoria. In NSW, the program is active in parts of metropolitan Sydney as well as the Hunter region and Central Coast. In Victoria, it is operated in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.

NSW

P: 1800 960 976 or 02 8713 9200
E: fostercare@ssi.org.au

VIC

P: 1800 955 774
E: vicfostercare@ssi.org.au

About SSI Multicultural Foster Care

For over 10 years, we have advocated that every child has a right to a safe, happy and permanent home connected to family and community. Our specialty is in connecting children from diverse backgrounds with foster carers who can help them maintain their connection to culture, religion, and language.

We are always looking for a diverse range of foster carers, but you don’t need to be from the same cultural background as a child in order to be a foster carer. What truly matters is your care and commitment to make a positive difference in a child’s life.

Frequently asked questions

Foster care offers children a home while their own family is unable to provide them with a safe or caring home environment. Children in foster care are aged from 0 to 18 years (up to 21 years in Victoria).

Depending on their circumstances, a child may be in foster care for a few days, a few weeks or for many years. Sometimes they may remain permanently in the care of foster carers.

In NSW, there are about 20,000 children not able to live with their birth parents. In Victoria, this number is over 11,000. Of these, about 15% are from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background.

Many children who need foster care have experienced trauma and various forms of abuse and can’t continue to live with their birth family. Wherever possible, the intention is to get children back living safely with their birth families.

Foster care is required when there are no extended family members or other suitable people to provide immediate or long term care.

When a child has been separated from their family because of ongoing child protection concerns, the Children’s Court and the relevant state government department are involved in making the decisions about children’s care.

There are four main types of foster care:

  • Respite foster care is regular periodic care. Children are looked after for short periods of time to provide birth parents or foster carers with a break, for example over school holidays or weekends.

 

  • Emergency or crisis foster care is required when there is immediate concern for a child’s safety. The duration can be from one night to a few weeks, or until another foster care arrangement is available.

 

  • Short-term foster care is required when there is a possibility that the situation that caused a child to be removed from their birth family may be resolved and they will be able to return (called restoration) or until another carer is found who is committed to providing long term care for the child.

 

  • Long-term foster care refers to caring for a child who is not expected to return to their birth family, and who will therefore need long-term care and be part of your family.

 

Becoming a foster carer

Foster carers care for children and young people who can’t live safely with their family. They provide safe and caring homes for these vulnerable children. By providing guidance, support and encouragement, foster carers make a real difference to the lives of children in care. Foster carers are trained, assessed and authorised to provide foster care.

Anyone can apply to become a foster carer as long as they meet the conditions set out below. Applicants must be:

– over 21 years of age
– an Australian citizen or permanent resident
– in good physical and emotional health without any medical condition that may affect their ability to care for a child or young person

SSI recognises that foster carers can have different personal and family circumstances. Foster carers can be:

– single, married or in a de facto relationship
– renting, buying or you may own your home
– working or not working
– a parent or someone who has a strong interest in helping children

 

Check your eligibility with our quiz!

 

The important qualities of a foster carer include:

– Empathy and good listening skills
– Perseverance and adaptability when things get tough
– Flexibility, patience and humour
– Ability to provide a safe, loving and caring home environment
– An ability to guide and discipline children without the use of physical punishment
– A willingness to work with other people in the child’s life such as birth parents and caseworkers
– A willingness to support the child to develop a sense of identity that includes their culture, language and religion, where appropriate.
– Be willing to learn and understand the impact of trauma on a child
– Able to balance your family’s needs, finances, interests and supports with the needs of the child
– Happy to participate in meetings and training

If you are interested in becoming a foster carer with SSI please contact us on:

For NSW
P: 1800 960 976 or 02 8713 9200
E: fostercare@ssi.org.au

For Victoria –
P: 1800 955 774
E: vicfostercare@ssi.org.au

You can also check your eligibility and get in touch by completing our quiz.

Once you complete our quiz or get in touch, we will arrange a time to speak with you and your family about foster care, what it involves, and how to apply.

You will be provided with written information about our service and an application form. Once you have gathered the information you need and you decide you want to proceed, the next step will be to submit the application form to us.

You will then be invited to participate in an assessment process that will help us determine whether you can become a foster carer with our service.

The process includes:
– You and all adults in the household will have to complete a Health Check, Police Check, a Working with Children Check and referee checks
– Participating in training (Shared Lives) which covers nine topics and usually takes about 20 hours in total, either on weekends or evening sessions, in person or online
– A series of one on one interviews at your home to focus on your interests, skills, strengths and ability to take on the foster care role.

Being unique and different is part of what makes every one of us special. Every child and their birth family is different. Foster carers make a significant contribution by caring for vulnerable children in need of care and stability. Some children may show signs of stress, worry and uncertainty. Some may seem quiet, others may seem troublesome.

Child abuse causes trauma and harms how a child’s brain and emotions develop and how they learn to behave and react to situations.

Some children may show their anxiety, fear and confusion by not wanting to be a part of a family and withdrawing. Others may show behaviour that could be described as difficult or
challenging such as talking back, being angry, not listening, not eating or sleeping, not being able to regulate their emotions, throwing tantrums or running away.

Some children have never had routine in their lives and will need extra amounts of love, understanding and patience to help them learn new ways of behaving. The longer a child has not had stability and emotional support, the more time they will need to accept a different way of being cared for.

Maintaining or rebuilding relationships between children and their biological parents, siblings and family is continued when it is safe for the child. Many parents struggle to understand their roles when they are not caring for their children and this can raise many emotions including anger, loss, confusion and hope. How carers talk about children’s biological parents will influence how a child sees their family.

It is important that visits are safe, helpful and a good experience. It is also beneficial for children to see their carers have contact with their birth family. It gives them positive messages about people’s ability to communicate despite the situation.

Foster care at SSI

SSI provides foster carers and casework support for all children, with a strong focus on children from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.

We deliver a specialist out-of-home care service that provides a culturally appropriate model of foster care for children and young people from CALD backgrounds aged 0-18 years in NSW, and up to 21 years in Victoria.

While SSI has a strong focus on recruiting foster carers from CALD backgrounds, we recruit carers from any background if they have a genuine desire to provide a safe and caring home for children.

We are staffed by bilingual case workers and managers with cross cultural and out-of-home care casework skills and knowledge. We also work closely with community organisations, community leaders, women’s groups, religious organisations and other relevant services, in the recruitment and support of foster carers.

At SSI, we believe children in care who are supported to learn about and maintain a connection to their culture, religion and language have better outcomes as they grow up than those who are not supported in this way. These connections help children to understand where they have come from and to develop their sense of belonging and identity.

Helping children stay connected with their ethnic background, language and religion can also help children maintain positive relationships with their birth parents, extended family and community. This is important should children be returned to parental care, and in staying connected into their adult years.

 

Our service provides:

– General foster care and case management to meet the full needs of the child
– Foster carers from the child’s cultural background where possible
– Bilingual and bicultural case managers
– Cultural care planning to promote connections with their culture, religion, language and community
– Access to counseling and support services for children from refugee backgrounds

SSI Multicultural Foster Care works closely with foster carers to ensure they have the support they need.

A range of support services are available including:

– Carer assessment processes conducted in either English or community languages
– Initial and ongoing training conducted in English or community languages
– A professional caseworker to support you and the child
– Bilingual caseworkers who understand the child’s culture
– Monthly visits and regular phone contact with your caseworker
– Access to 24-hour on-call phone support for crisis situations
– General and culturally specific support groups for example, Vietnamese carers group, Arabic carers group
– Respite foster care
– Financial support to meet the day-to-day cost of caring for the child through a foster care allowance (for NSW carers, please refer to the DCJ website, and for Victorian carers, please refer to the DFFH website)
– Referrals to a range of support services for you and the child

If you are interested in becoming a foster carer with SSI please contact us on:
For NSW
P: 1800 960 976 or 02 8713 9200
E: fostercare@ssi.org.au

For Victoria –
P: 1800 955 774
E: vicfostercare@ssi.org.au

 

Program update

SSI was one of six organisations chosen by the federal government to grow, upskill and support Australia’s home care workers to ensure senior Australians can access the care they need to remain independent at home.

The Department of Health and Aged Care (DOHAC) has notified us that the Home Care Workforce Support Program (HCWSP) will end across all States and Territories on 30 June 2024. After this date, you will no longer be able to access our training and support services.

Care career roadmap

The Care Career Roadmap provides a clear pathway for career progression and highlights complementary roles and their requirements.

There are many jobs that a career in home care can open up to, such as:

  • Nursing
  • Occupational therapy
  • Allied health
  • Speech pathology
  • Paramedic roles
  • Medical officer roles
  • Counselling roles
  • Geriatrics.

Worker case studies

Kerry’s career transition

Kerry found fulfilment in caring for seniors at Catholic Health Care.

Jenny builds her dream

Jenny joined the HCWSP after 13 years working in retail and hasn’t looked back since.

Rob moves from commerce to home care

Rob pivoted from the fast-paced world of finance to an enriching career in home care.

Are you ready for a career with meaning?

Other SSI programs that could assist

ParentsNext

We’re making it easier for eligible parents to plan their future with help towards expenses like course fees, training materials, childcare, and transport.

کسی ایسے شخص سے بات کریں جو سمجھتا ہو۔

کیا آپ کو یہ حساب رکھنے میں مشکل ہو رہی ہے کہ آپ کتنے پیسے خرچ کر رہے ہیں؟ یا کیا آپ کے لیے اپنے کچھ بل ادا کرنا یا سودا سلف خریدنا مشکل ہے؟ کیا آپ کے لیے اپنی جوئے بازی کو قابو میں رکھنا زیادہ مشکل ہو رہا ہے؟

کسی ایسے شخص سے بات کریں جو سمجھتا ہو۔ Multicultural Gambling Harm Prevention Services (جوئے بازی کے نقصان کی روک تھام کی کثیرالثقافتی خدمات) میں ہم آپ کو جوئے بازی کے منفی اثرات کو سنبھالنے میں مدد اور مالی معاملات اور خاندانی رشتوں کے سلسلے میں مدد دے سکتے ہیں۔

اگر آپ کو اپنے کسی قریبی شخص کے بارے میں فکر ہے تو بھی ہم آپ کی مدد کر سکتے ہیں۔

مفت اور رازدارانہ سروس اور مدد کے لیے 1800 329 192 پر ہماری ہاٹ لائن کو فون کریں یا gamblingharmprevention@ssi.org.au پر ہمیں ای میل کریں۔

 

Multicultural Gambling Harm Prevention

SSI’s Multicultural Gambling Harm Prevention Services (MGHP) offer a variety of free services for individuals and families experiencing negative effects from gambling.

உங்களுடைய நிலையைப் புரிந்துகொள்ளக்கூடிய ஒருவரிடம் பேசுங்கள்.

நீங்கள் எவ்வளவு பணம் செலவிடுகிறீர்கள் என்பதைக் கண்காணிப்பது கடினமாக உள்ளதா? அல்லது உங்களது ‘பில்’ கட்டணங்களில் சிலவற்றைச் செலுத்துவதில் அல்லது மளிகைப் பொருட்களை வாங்குவதில் சிரமப் படுகிறீர்களா? உங்கள் சூதாட்டப் பழக்கத்தைக் கட்டுப்படுத்துவது கடினமாக ஆகிக்கொண்டிருக்கிறதா?

உங்களுடைய நிலையைப் புரிந்துகொள்ளக்கூடிய ஒருவரிடம் பேசுங்கள். ‘பல்கலாச்சார சூதாட்டத் தீங்கு தடுப்பு சேவைகள்’ (Multicultural Gambling Harm Prevention Services)-இல், சூதாட்டத்தின் எதிர்மறையான விளைவுகளைக் கட்டுப்படுத்த எம்மால் உங்களுக்கு உதவ இயலும். மேலும் உங்கள் நிதிநிலை மற்றும் குடும்ப உறவுகள் விடயத்திலும் எம்மால் உதவ இயலும்.

உங்களுக்கு நெருக்கமான ஒருவரைப் பற்றி நீங்கள் கவலைப்படுகிறீர்கள் என்றாலும், எம்மால் உங்களுக்கு ஆதரவுதவியளிக்க முடியும்.

இலவச மற்றும் ரகசிய ஆலோசனை மற்றும் ஆதரவுதவிக்காக 1800 329 192 -இல் எங்கள் ‘ஹாட்லைன்’-ஐ அழைக்கவும் அல்லது gamblingharmprevention@ssi.org.au என்ற முகவரியில் எங்களுக்கு மின்னஞ்சல் அனுப்பவும்.

Multicultural Gambling Harm Prevention

SSI’s Multicultural Gambling Harm Prevention Services (MGHP) offer a variety of free services for individuals and families experiencing negative effects from gambling.