Kinship Care Expense Tracking and Paperwork Checklist for ACT Carers

Why Tracking Matters More Than You Think

When Centrelink questions your care arrangement, when a school registrar asks for proof that you are the primary carer, or when CSD requests evidence for a discretionary reimbursement — you need documents, not memories. Informal kinship carers in the ACT often have no court order to wave at the front desk. What you do have is a paper trail, and building it starts on day one.

The three records that matter most: an expense log (what you are spending on the child), a care evidence dossier (proof you are the primary carer), and a claim progress log (every interaction with every agency).

Setting Up an Expense Tracker

Every receipt, every bank transfer, every school fee paid out of your own pocket is evidence. It demonstrates actual care to Centrelink and, for statutory carers, supports discretionary reimbursement claims to CSD.

Organise expenses into categories that match the systems you are dealing with:

• Education — uniforms, book packs, excursion fees, digital device contributions, subject fees
• Health and medical — GP gap fees, prescription costs, dental, optometry, specialist appointments
• Daily living — groceries, clothing, shoes, personal care items, haircuts
• Childcare — centre-based day care, outside school hours care, vacation care
• Transport — fuel for school runs, public transport, travel to birth family contact visits
• Establishment — the initial costs when the child first arrived (bedding, furniture, safety equipment, clothing)

For each entry, record the date, amount, category, a brief description, and where the receipt is stored. Digital photos of receipts work — snap them the day you get them, because thermal paper fades.

If you are a statutory carer, CSD may reimburse approved exceptional expenses for education, health, establishment and transport. The catch: you need prior written authorisation from your assigned caseworker before spending. Having the expense logged with a receipt makes that conversation much simpler.

Building a Care Evidence Dossier

This is the collection of documents that proves you are the child's primary carer. Centrelink calls it "proof of actual care," and schools and GPs will ask for similar evidence. Keep originals (or certified copies) in one folder, physical or digital.

Core documents to collect:

1. Statutory declaration — the Non-Parent Carer Statutory Declaration (form CS4647) for Centrelink, signed before an authorised witness. This is the single most important document for informal carers.
2. Professional support letters — written statements on letterhead from the child's GP, school principal, dentist or a social worker confirming you present with the child and manage their care. At least two independent sources strengthen the claim.
3. School enrolment records — the ACT Education Directorate enrolment form listing you as primary carer and emergency contact.
4. Medicare documentation — the child's Medicare card under your household number (lodged via form MS011).
5. Financial evidence — bank statements showing child-related spending, receipts for clothing and school fees.
6. Immunisation records — the child's Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) statement, accessible through myGov.
7. Birth certificate — a copy of the child's birth certificate (you will need this for school enrolment and Medicare transfers).

If the biological parents dispute your care claim, Centrelink triggers a formal care assessment. Your dossier gives Services Australia evidence to consider when assessing actual care.

Maintaining a Claim Progress Log

Every phone call to Centrelink, every form submitted, every appointment with CSD — log it. The details that matter:

• Date and time of contact
• Agency and officer name (or employee number)
• Reference number or receipt number
• What was discussed or submitted
• What they promised to do next and by when
• The outcome

This log protects you in two ways. First, if a Centrelink decision goes against you, the 13-week deadline for requesting an Authorised Review Officer (ARO) review runs from the date of the decision notice. Knowing exactly when you received each notice keeps your appeal rights intact. Second, informal verbal conversations with Centrelink staff do not preserve appeal deadlines — you need to explicitly request an ARO review, and your log proves you did.

Keeping a Care History Timeline

A chronological record of major events, starting from when the child first came into your care:

• The date the child arrived and the circumstances
• Any agreements made with the biological parents (even verbal ones — note the date and what was said)
• Changes in living arrangements, school or health providers
• Contact visits with birth parents
• Agency interactions, home visits, case conference dates
• Health milestones, hospital visits, specialist referrals

This timeline becomes invaluable if you later pursue a federal parenting order, if CSD reviews the placement, or if Centrelink audits your care claim.

Pulling It All Together

The hard part is not knowing what to track — it is doing it consistently while managing a household, a child's school schedule, and your own wellbeing. The ACT Kinship Carer Support Guide includes ready-made worksheets for all four systems: an expense tracker, a care evidence checklist, a claim progress log and a care history timeline, structured around the specific agencies and forms ACT carers deal with.

See more Australian Capital Territory guides →