Foster and Kinship Carer Week 2014
Regional Activity Grants Application Form
Background
Since 1999, a week has been set aside during March of each year to recognise, celebrate and thank Foster and
Kinship Carers for their contribution to the lives of the children and young people in their care. As with most annual
events held over time in an ever-changing environment, the time came for a review to check whether or not Foster
and Kinship Carer Week was continuing to achieve the goals it was originally designed to meet.
To this end, PeakCare Queensland Inc. (PeakCare) as the auspicing agency for Foster and Kinship Carer Week, hosted
a workshop entitled Foster and Kinship Carer Week: Where to from here – 2014 and beyond in mid-2013. This
workshop was attended by members of the Foster and Kinship Carer Week Committee that comprises
representatives from both government and non-government organisations, and was used to generate an ambitious
plan for revitalizing Foster and Kinship Carer Week. Very importantly, FAST delegates and other peak bodies were
also involved in the development of this plan. Feedback and encouragement was also gratefully received from the
Honourable Tarnya Smith MP, Assistant Minister for Child Safety.
A key component of the plan that the Committee is now working towards achieving features a broad-reaching public
awareness raising campaign to be conducted in the months leading up to and including Foster and Kinship Carer
Week 2014. The aims of this campaign are to:
1) enhance public awareness and appreciation of the needs of children and young people who, for various
reasons and for varying lengths of time, may be unable to remain in the care of their own parents, and the
critical role played by Foster and Kinship Carers in meeting their needs
2) facilitate a much broader range of sectors within Queensland society – governments, community services,
corporations and businesses, media, other special interest groups and individuals – actively coming together,
with shared understandings and compassion, to acknowledge the hardships experienced by many
Queensland children, young people and families and, in a spirit of celebration, pay homage to Foster and
Kinship Carers for the contribution they make, and
3) the engendering, amongst all existing Foster and Kinship Carers, of an increased sense of being
acknowledged and respected by the Queensland community for the roles they undertake, thereby building
their morale and increasing the likelihood of them continuing to perform their valued roles as well as
attracting the interest of others who are appropriately motivated and suitable to become Foster or Kinship
Carers.
A critical factor in contributing to the success of this campaign will be the program of regional activities and events
conducted throughout the State during Foster and Kinship Carer Week 2014 to be held during the week commencing
9th March. As the three month campaign builds momentum and interest leading into Foster and Kinship Carer Week,
it will be important for this campaign to reach its crescendo and culminate in a well-developed State-wide program
of exciting and innovative localised events.
Applicants for Regional Activity Grants are encouraged by the Foster and Kinship Carer Week Committee to carefully
consider the following information before completing their application. Proposals are sought that appropriately
address the selection criteria and creatively contribute to the aims of revitalizing Foster and Kinship Carer Week in
2014 and making it a bigger and better event than ever before.
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Foster and Kinship Carer Week 2014
Regional Activity Grants Application Form
General overview of the Regional Activity Grants
Purpose of the Regional Activity Grants
The purpose of the Regional Activity Grants is to financially assist non-government organisations involved in the
delivery of foster and kinship care services throughout the State to plan and deliver, in partnership and collaboration
with others, local events and activities during Foster and Kinship Carer Week that draw widespread attention to, and
public acknowledgement of, the contribution made by Foster and Kinship Carers to the safety, well-being and life
opportunities of Queensland children and young people and, wherever possible, the support of their families.
Objectives of the Regional Activities
The key objectives established for each Regional Activity include:
1) The creation and maximisation of opportunities for local Foster and Kinship Carers and the children and
young people in their care to participate in the selection and planning of events and activities that will be
perceived by Carers as a genuine and meaningful expression of appreciation, thereby facilitating the building
of their morale and their retention in performing their valued roles
2) The engagement of a broad range of sectors represented within the local community – multiple tiers of
government, non-government and government providers of child protection and related services,
corporations and businesses, local media, other special interest groups and individuals – in actively
sponsoring and supporting activities that facilitate the participation of local Foster and Kinship Carers and
members of their families and respectfully acknowledge their contribution to the local community
3) The facilitation of increased local community awareness about the child protection system and the critical
role played by Foster and Kinship Carers within this system, thereby assisting the recruitment of new Carers
who are well-suited and able to perform this role
4) The delivery of events and activities that reflect within their planning and design, an acknowledgement and
celebration of the diversity of people’s cultural, socio-economic and personal backgrounds and life
experiences who perform ‘general’ and ‘intensive’ Foster Carer roles as well as the values and characteristics
they have in common, namely their shared commitment and dedication to the safety, well-being and life
opportunities of Queensland children and young people
5) The delivery of events and activities that, as far as possible, are designed in ways that specifically
acknowledge the contribution of local Kinship Carers in a personalised manner that is sensitive to their
privacy and the family circumstances, usually not of their choosing, that have led them to become Kinship
Carers.
Importantly, it is noted that a proportion of the available Activity Grants will be quarantined to fund at least one
activity per region that pays special attention to the involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders,
respected community members and organisations in acknowledging the valued contribution of existing and
prospective Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Carers in ways that are culturally meaningful and significant to
them. This is in recognition of the disproportionate representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
and young people within the child protection system and the importance of having Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Foster and Kinship Carers in place to improve compliance with the Child Placement Principle and maintain
or restore these children’s identification and connections with their families, communities and culture.
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Foster and Kinship Carer Week 2014
Regional Activity Grants Application Form
Available grant funding
Generally, it is required that all grant applicants present proposals for an event or activity that will be planned and
conducted in collaboration with at least one other organisation.
When developing your proposal, please note the following:

Grants of up to $1k may be provided to an organisation where the proposed event or activity is to be
conducted in collaboration with at least one other organisation, unless exceptional circumstances apply 1

Grants of $2k to $3k may be provided to an organisation where the proposed event or activity is to be
conducted in collaboration with multiple other organisations 2

No more than $3k will be granted to support a single event or activity

Only one application per event or activity is to be submitted for consideration.
Applicants are encouraged to incorporate within the planning of their event or activity, strategies to attract other
donations and local business or corporate sponsorship (either in kind or money) to supplement the funding received,
maximise the number of Carers able to participate in the event or activity and support the message that ‘child
protection is everyone’s business’ and Queenslanders from ‘all walks of life’ should be involved in acknowledging the
contribution of Foster and Kinship Carers.
Eligibility and selection criteria
To be eligible to be considered for an Activity Grant, the applicant must:

be a non-government organisation already funded by the Department of Communities, Child Safety and
Disability Services to recruit, train, support and, in association with the Department, manage the
assessment and approval/ re-approval of Foster and/ or Kinship Carers

have a current ABN

possess or have a demonstrated ability to obtain adequate public liability insurance coverage (Subject to
the nature of the activity or event being proposed, an estimated coverage of $10m will be required)
1
In extraordinary circumstances, the Foster and Kinship Carer Week Committee may consider some exceptions to this
requirement. These exceptions may include, for example, a proposed activity or event to be provided for Foster and Kinship
Carers in a remote location where opportunity for an organisation to collaborate with another organisation is limited. Exceptions
may also include proposed activities or events specifically and exclusively designed to acknowledge and thank Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Foster and Kinship Carers where, for reasons of ensuring that the activity or event is culturally appropriate
and meaningful, a single organisation is best placed to organise and manage its delivery in liaison with Elders and respected
community members.
2
Generally, grants of up to $2k will be provided to an organisation where the proposed event or activity is to be conducted in
collaboration with three or more other organisations. The approval of grants of up to $3k will generally be limited to
organisations where the proposed events or activity is to be conducted in collaboration with no less than four other
organisations. The Foster and Kinship Carer Committee recognises that matters such as the geographical spread of the
catchment area within which an activity or event is to occur, numbers of distinct communities located within the catchment area
and existing infrastructure of local organisations situated within the catchment area with whom collaboration can readily occur
are factors that may need to be considered in the development of proposals. An organisation that is proposing to conduct an
event or activity in collaboration with less than four other organisations may submit arguments for a grant that exceeds $2k (but
remains less than $3k) if it can be established that the additional funds are needed to manage higher transport costs and/ or
other expenses that may need to be incurred in order to facilitate a significantly greater proportion of Foster and Kinship Carers
within the catchment area being able to participate in the activity or event than would otherwise occur (i.e. without some
additional funding being provided, Foster and Kinship Carers within the catchment area would be disadvantaged in relation to
their ability to participate in comparison with Carers from other areas of the State).
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Foster and Kinship Carer Week 2014
Regional Activity Grants Application Form

be able to identify at least one other organisation with whom the applicant has collaborated and/ or will
be collaborating in developing and conducting the proposed activity or event (unless previously noted
extraordinary circumstances apply which must be satisfactorily explained with the application)

be able and willing to conduct the proposed event or activity during Foster and Kinship Carer Week (i.e.
during the week commencing 9th March 2014)

be prepared to promote access to, and make use of, resources developed and disseminated during the
course of the public awareness raising campaign that will be conducted leading into Foster and Kinship
Carer Week (such as media release templates and various social media strategies)

if funded and if the applicant proposes to engage in child-related activities which are regulated by the blue
card system, have an effective risk management plan and meet any blue card screening requirements 3

if funded, be willing and able to complete and return an ‘Event Information Form’ by the due date of
Friday 16th February 2013, and

if funded, be willing and able to complete and return an acquittal statement by the due date of Friday 11th
April 2014.
Submitted applications will be comparatively assessed by the Foster and Kinship Carer Week Committee in relation
to how well they address the following criteria:
1) Engagement of local Foster and Kinship Carers and the children and young people in their care in the
selection and planning of the proposed event or activity
2) Breadth of the engagement of other stakeholders (e.g. local government, other non-government and
government service providers, local businesses, media and special interest groups) in the planning and
conduct of the proposed activity or event
3) Effectiveness of the proposed event or activity in promoting the theme Celebrating Carers, Fostering Futures
and its capacity to draw widespread public acknowledgement of the contribution made by Foster and
Kinship Carers from within a broad geographical catchment area
4) Consistency of the proposed event or activity with the purpose and objectives of the Regional Activity Grants
including those relating to:

increasing local community awareness about the child protection system and the critical role played by
Foster and Kinship Carers

acknowledging and celebrating the diversity of people’s cultural, socio-economic and personal
backgrounds and life experiences who perform ‘general’ and ‘intensive’ Foster Carer roles as well as the
values and characteristics they have in common, and

acknowledging the specific contribution of local Kinship Carers in a personalised manner that is sensitive
to their privacy and the family circumstances that have led them to become Kinship Carers.
Where an application is being lodged specifically in relation to acknowledging and thanking Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Foster and Kinship Carers, the proposal will also be assessed in relation to how well it will involve
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders, respected community members and organisations in acknowledging the
valued contribution of existing and prospective Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Carers in ways that are culturally
meaningful and significant to them.
3
Information about blue card system requirements is available at http://www.bluecard.qld.gov.au
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Foster and Kinship Carer Week 2014
Regional Activity Grants Application Form
Lodging a grant application
Applications must be received by close of business Tuesday 10th December 2013. The application may be submitted
via email or by mail. Please send completed application forms to:
Foster and Kinship Carer Week Committee
C/- PeakCare Queensland
P.O. Box 159 Paddington Qld 4064
or
Email: groberts@peakcare.org.au
Applicants will be notified of receipt of application via email and outcomes of the application by late December
2013.
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Foster and Kinship Carer Week 2014
Regional Activity Grants Application Form
Application form
1. Organisation details
Submit one application per event. You must have an ABN as this document serves as a Tax Invoice to PeakCare Queensland Inc.
Organisation name and address of the ‘lead agency’ submitting the application (including ABN):
ABN:
Telephone number:
Email address: (Required for receipt notification)
Public liability insurance details:
Policy number:
Insurer:
Expiry date:
Please list other organisations with whom you will be partnering in conducting this activity or event:
Anticipated number of persons who will be attending or participating in this activity or event
Children and
young people:
Carers:
Others:
Workers:
(Specify who)
Contact details of activity or event organiser/s:
Title
Name
Position title
Phone
Email
Phone
Email
Details of person responsible for financial accountability:
Title
Name
Position title
2. Payment processing - Please provide banking details for grant payment.
BSB
Account Number
Account Name
3. Tax Invoice to Peakcare Queensland Inc.
Amount: $____________ (insert requested amount)
Note the amount is inclusive of GST and subject to funding approval
I/we declare that the information provided here is, to the best of our knowledge, accurate and complete. I/We agree to abide
by the conditions of funding laid out in this application form and understand that I/we will be responsible for completing an
accountability of expenditure report within one month of the completion of the activity.
Signed: ____________________________ Date: __________________
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Foster and Kinship Carer Week 2014
Regional Activity Grants Application Form
4. Please write a brief description of your proposed activity or event for Foster and Kinship Carer Week
2014 in your local community.
Within your description, please ensure you address the eligibility and selection criteria.
Date on which it is intended to conduct the proposed event or activity:
Location at which it is intended to conduct the proposed event or
activity (Include name of venue and street address):
Brief description of proposed event or activity:
How have/ will local Foster and Kinship Carers and the children or young people in their care be involved in the
selection and planning of this event or activity?
Who are the stakeholders who have or will be involved in the planning and conduct of this event or activity and what
is/ will be the nature of their involvement?
In what ways will this event or activity promote the theme Celebrating Carers, Fostering Futures and draw widespread
public acknowledgement of the contribution made by Foster and Kinship Carers from a broad geographical catchment
area?
How will the proposed event or activity:
 increase local community awareness about the child protection system and the critical role played by Foster and
Kinship Carers
 acknowledge and celebrate the diversity of people’s cultural, socio-economic and personal backgrounds and life
experiences who perform ‘general’ and ‘intensive’ Foster Carer roles as well as the values and characteristics they
have in common, and
 acknowledge the specific contribution of local Kinship Carers?
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Foster and Kinship Carer Week 2014
Regional Activity Grants Application Form
Is the proposed activity or event intended to specifically acknowledge and thank Aboriginal and/ or Torres Strait
Islander Foster and/ or Kinship Carers? (Indicate ‘Yes’ or ‘No’)
If ‘No’, proceed to ‘How will the activity or event be promoted and to whom?’
If ‘Yes’, in what ways will the proposed event or activity be culturally meaningful and significant to Aboriginal
and/or Torres Strait Islander Foster and Kinship Carers?
How will the proposed event or activity be promoted and to whom?:
Estimated budget (Include breakdown of major expenses):
Other comments in support of your application (Optional):
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