Find-A-Family centres
Adoption and permanent foster care
Find-A-Family Offices are located in Sydney, Canberra, Central Coast and South Coast, NSW.
They cover the Sydney Metropolitan area, Central and South Coast and the ACT and surrounding areas.
Find-a-Family (FAF) offers adoption and permanent family care to children who have been removed from their birth families by the Court because it is not safe for them to remain at home. Find-a-Family has a strong permanency planning focus, but there is also an emphasis on maintaining birth family relationships which are important to children in care.
The underlying principles of Barnardos' Find-a-Family program are that a secure family environment provides best for the needs of the child. In addition, children require stability in a placement with the same carers to develop to their full potential and to establish relationships based on trust. The first priority of Barnardos is always to provide for the needs of the child.
Find-a-Family deal only with children between 0-12 years who have been permanently removed from their birth families. The program specialises in finding successful placements for "hard-to-place" children, large sibling groups and children with specific cultural requirements.
Canberra FAF includes a wider range of children some of whom will be restored to their natural families.
Barnardos’ success
Barnardos attributes our 90% success rate with long-term care placements to the careful matching of individual children with a particular carer. Matched Placements, along with Barnardos’ monitoring and carer support and training programs, ensure that the placement has the best chance of success. Respite Care programs provide regular relief to carers and Bridging Placements ensure that a child receives good temporary care whilst they wait for a suitable long-term carer or family to be found.
Barnardos attributes our 90% success rate with long-term care placements to the careful matching of individual children with a particular carer. Matched Placements, along with Barnardos’ monitoring and carer support and training programs, ensure that the placement has the best chance of success. Respite Care programs provide regular relief to carers and Bridging Placements ensure that a child receives good temporary care whilst they wait for a suitable long-term carer or family to be found.Barnardos’ innovative LAC (Looking After Children) program ensures continuity and stability for a child during bridging and temporary placements.
Carers
Carers receive a formal introductory training program, and ongoing professional training and support. Carers can be single, 
families or couples, but previous experience in child-rearing is very useful.
All carers are assessed and matched by Barnardos welfare workers, and undergo extensive interview, background and police checks and training.
Adoption
Adoption is the legal process where the new parent or parents take on all the rights and responsibilities of the birth parents. Adoption is a very successful outcome for many children who have been permanently removed from their birth family. Adoption provides a crucial sense of reassurance, permanency and belonging to a child which enables them to begin the slow healing process from the trauma of separation, abuse and neglect within a safe and nurturing family environment.
Barnardos South Coast Childrens Family Centre
13 Greene St WARRAWONG NSW 2502
PO Box 76 WARRAWONG NSW 2502
Tel: 02 4275 8575 Fax: 02 4275 8565
Email contact: kmoore@barnardos.org.auSenior Manager: Kerry Moore
FAF Canberra
2 Atherton St DOWNER ACT 2602
PO Box 384 DICKSON ACT 2602
Tel: 02 6241 5466 Fax: 02 6241 4560
Email contact: akegerton@barnardos.org.au
Senior Manager: Annette Kelly-Egerton
FAF Central Coast
PO Box 2239 GOSFORD NSW 2250
Tel: 02 4324 9411 Fax: 02 4324 9477
Email contact: ecox@barnardos.org.auSenior Manager: Elizabeth Cox
FAF Illawarra
21a Addison St SHELLHARBOUR NSW 2529
PO Box A24 SHELLHARBOUR NSW 2529
Tel:02 4297 0670 Fax: 02 4297 0670
Email contact: ecox@barnardos.org.auSenior Manager: Elizabeth Cox
FAF Sydney
23 Nelson Street ANNANADALE 2038
PO Box 137 ANNANDALE 2038
Tel: 02 8596 5000 Fax: 02 8596 5001
Email contact: lmoggach@barnardos.org.au
Senior Manager: Elizabeth Cox
FAF - Western Sydney
Suite 2 / 106 Queen Street St Marys NSW 2760
PO Box 548 St Marys NSW 1790
Phone: 02 9833 8877 Fax: 02 9833 8898
Barnardos attributes our 90% success rate with long-term care placements to the careful matching of individual children with a particular carer. Matched Placements, along with Barnardos’ monitoring and carer support and training programs, ensure that the placement has the best chance of success. Respite Care programs provide regular relief to carers and Bridging Placements ensure that a child receives good temporary care whilst they wait for a suitable long-term carer or family to be found. Carers receive a formal introductory training program, and ongoing professional training and support. Carers can be single, families or couples, but previous experience in child-rearing is very useful.
