CODE 1   Foster care only

Carers who have been screened/authorised only for the purpose of having a foster child placed with them. Foster care is where the carer is authorised and reimbursed (or was offered but declined reimbursement) by the state/territory and supported by an approved agency. There are varying degrees of reimbursement made to foster carers.

CODE 2   Relative/kinship care only

Carers who have been screened/authorised only for the purpose of having relative(s)/kin  placed with them. Relative/kinship care is where the caregiver is a relative (other than parents), considered to
be family or a close friend, or is a member of the child or young person’s community (in accordance with their culture) who is reimbursed (or who has been offered but declined reimbursement) by the state/ territory for the care of the child. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, a kinship carer may be another Indigenous person who is a member of their community, a compatible community or from the same language group.

CODE 3   Both foster and relative/kinship care

Carers who have been screened/authorised for the purpose of having foster children and relatives/kin placed with them.

CODE 4   Provisionally approved

Households that have received provisional authorisation (which may be in order to facilitate a placement), whilst formal approval/registration is being finalised. This code should only be used if the type of provisional authorisation is not recorded until the approval/registration process is finalised.

CODE 5   Respite only

Respite care is a form of out-of-home care that is used to provide short-term accommodation for children and young people where the intention is for the child to return to their prior place of residence. Respite placements include:      

Respite from birth family, where a child is placed in out-of-home care on a temporary basis for reasons other than child protection (e.g. the child’s parents are ill or unable to care for them on a temporary basis; or as a family support mechanism to prevent entry into full time care, as part of the reunification process, as a shared cared arrangement)
       
Respite from placement, where a child spends regular, short and agreed periods of time with another carer other than their primary carer.

CODE 6   Long term guardianship

Carers who have been screened/authorised only for the purpose of having a child placed with them under a permanent care order and/or other order where parental responsibility is transferred to a third party.

CODE 99   Not stated/inadequately described

Is used when the authorisation type is not recorded or is unknown.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2013. Child protection national minimum data set, data collection manual 2012–13. Canberra: AIHW.