Aboriginal Kinship Care Victoria Payments: DFFH, Centrelink and ACCO Support

How Aboriginal Kinship Care Works in Victoria

Kinship care has always been part of Aboriginal culture — children raised by aunties, uncles, grandparents and community members within extended family networks. In a statutory placement, ask DFFH or the supporting ACCO how the child's family, community and cultural connections have been considered and will be maintained.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kinship carers in Victoria, this means a particular intersection of state and Commonwealth support systems, plus culturally specific services delivered by Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs).

DFFH Payments for Aboriginal Kinship Carers

If DFFH has formally endorsed the placement with you, you can ask your case manager about the same DFFH care allowances available to endorsed kinship carers:

• Level 1 (base) care allowance: $473.66 to $696.65 per fortnight depending on the child's age (2026/27 rates)
• Levels 2–5 for children with additional needs, assessed by DFFH
• New placement loading: an extra $75.25 per fortnight for the first six months
• School attendance allowance: $425.94 (primary) or $638.91 (secondary) paid annually

These payments are non-taxable and do not affect your Centrelink income support.

The critical distinction: DFFH care allowances are only available to endorsed kinship carers — meaning DFFH child protection has formally placed the child with you and registered you in their system. If your arrangement is informal (the child came to live with you through a family decision without child protection involvement), you are not eligible for DFFH allowances regardless of your Aboriginal status.

Commonwealth Payments (Available to Eligible Carers)

Whether your arrangement is formal or informal, you can claim Commonwealth payments through Centrelink based on having physical care of the child:

• Family Tax Benefit Part A and B — the main income-tested payments for raising children
• Additional Child Care Subsidy (Grandparent) — for eligible grandparent carers who receive an eligible income support payment, have at least 65% care of the grandchild, and hold primary day-to-day decision-making responsibility; it can cover 100% of the actual fee up to 120% of the Child Care Subsidy hourly rate cap for up to 100 hours per fortnight
• Foster Child Health Care Card — a non-means-tested concession card that can provide lower-cost PBS medicines and local concessions for an eligible child in your care
• Double Orphan Pension — if both parents are deceased, or one parent is deceased and the other is untraceable, incarcerated or in long-term care

Call the Centrelink Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Adviser line on 1800 245 965 to discuss your specific situation. Ask whether an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander specialist is available if that would help.

Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations

ACCOs play a central role in supporting Aboriginal kinship carers in Victoria. They deliver services through culturally safe frameworks that understand the history and context of Aboriginal family structures. Key ACCO services include:

First Supports Program: When DFFH places a child with an Aboriginal kinship carer, ask whether a local ACCO can provide First Supports. First Supports provides up to 12 months of family support, kinship assessment and financial brokerage for new statutory kinship placements. Ask the ACCO which services are available for your placement.

Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA): VACCA is the largest ACCO in Victoria providing child and family services. They offer kinship carer support, cultural programs, and can assist with navigating the child protection system.

Regional ACCOs: Aboriginal organisations across regional Victoria provide localised kinship support. Your DFFH case manager or Kinship Carers Victoria (0499 969 234) can connect you with the nearest ACCO.

Supporting Culture in a Statutory Placement

If DFFH approaches you to care for a child in your family, ask:

• What support and payments are available before you agree
• Whether DFFH has formally endorsed the placement and registered your care allowance
• Whether an ACCO can provide First Supports; child protection guidance calls for referrals within 21 days for placements expected to exceed three months
• How the child's connection to family, community, language and culture will be supported

Getting the Support You're Entitled To

The intersection of DFFH payments, Centrelink entitlements and ACCO services can be difficult to untangle, especially when agencies bounce you between departments. Start with these steps:

1. If DFFH placed the child with you: confirm your endorsement status and care allowance level with your case manager. Ask to be referred to an ACCO for First Supports if that hasn't happened
2. Claim Commonwealth payments regardless: even formal carers should claim FTB, Foster Child Health Care Card and any other Centrelink entitlements — they stack on top of DFFH allowances
3. If your arrangement is informal: focus on Centrelink payments and contact Kinship Carers Victoria or your local ACCO for help navigating the system

The Victoria Kinship Carer Support Guide walks through both DFFH and Centrelink pathways step by step, with worksheets for organising your evidence and a directory of Aboriginal and mainstream services across Victoria.

See more Victoria guides →