You will need this accreditation if your organisation intends to provide statutory out-of-home care services for children and young people in New South Wales (NSW).
Out-of-home care programs provide care to children and young people who may not be able to live safely at home or who have been placed in someone else's care by the NSW Children's Court (statutory out-of-home care) or by the parents (voluntary out-of-home care).
There are two types of out-of-home care services:
- Statutory out-of-home care is provided to children and young people for at least 14 days when the Children's Court makes an order, or the young person is designated a 'protected person' (accreditation)
- Voluntary out-of-home care is arranged between a parent and an organisation when there are no concerns for the child's safety (registration).
It is illegal to provide statutory out-out-home care services in NSW without first being accredited by the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian.