Kinship care is the support provided by relatives or a member of a child's social network when they cannot live with their parents. It is the fastest-growing form of out-of-home care in Victoria. 

Available information shows that between 2017 and 2021, the number of children and young people in kinship care grew by 33.2 per cent. DFFH introduced a new kinship care model in 2018 to accommodate this growth and respond to issues with the level of support kinship carers were receiving.

This audit examined the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (Vic) and 3 other kinship care service providers—Anglicare Victoria, Uniting Vic.Tas, and the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency. 

The audit assessed if the new kinship care model helps identify kinship networks in a timely manner for children and young people at risk and provides them with stable and quality placements.

The report makes 12 recommendations to the Department, including six about identifying kinship networks early, one about completing mandatory assessments, two about support for carers and three about monitoring and reporting on the new model.