Free Advocacy and Legal Help for Kinship Carers in the ACT

You Do Not Have to Navigate This Alone

Kinship carers in the ACT have access to free advocacy, free legal advice and community support services designed for exactly this situation. The problem is knowing which service does what — because each one covers a different piece of the puzzle, and none of them handles everything.

Here is who does what, and how to get the most out of each service.

Carers ACT — Kinship and Foster Carers Advocacy Service

Phone: 02 6296 9965
Email: [email protected]

Carers ACT is the primary non-government carer organisation in the Territory. Their Kinship and Foster Carers Advocacy Service provides independent support workers who help with:

• Preparing for formal case conferences with CYPS case managers
• Drafting written requests for discretionary CSD financial reimbursements
• Navigating disputes about care plans, contact arrangements or placement decisions
• Connecting you with peer support groups and community services

They also maintain the ACT Kinship and Foster Carers Resource Hub at knfcarers.au, which has practical guides and links.

Carers ACT is not a legal service — they cannot give legal advice or represent you in court. But they are the right first call when you need someone in your corner for administrative battles with government agencies.

They also administer the Carer Gateway in the ACT, which offers free respite planning, emergency home support, therapeutic counselling and carer coaching. You can access these directly without a CSD referral.

Legal Aid ACT

Helpline: 1300 654 314

Legal Aid ACT provides free telephone advice, minor assistance and duty lawyer services. For kinship carers, they cover:

• Family law matters — parenting orders, parental responsibility disputes, birth family contact
• Child protection hearings — representation or advice when CYPS proceedings are involved
• Grandparent care disputes — when you need formal legal authority to resolve a disagreement with a parent

They also operate a Welfare Rights Unit that can help with Centrelink appeal strategy — if your FTB, Double Orphan Pension or Carer Allowance claim has been rejected and you want to escalate to an ARO review or ART appeal.

Eligibility for ongoing legal assistance depends on your income and the merits of your matter, but the initial telephone advice is free regardless.

Canberra Community Law

Phone: 02 6218 7900

Canberra Community Law specialises in:

• Social security law — Centrelink debt appeals, payment disputes, overpayment recovery
• ACT public housing tenancies — relevant if you need to transfer or upsize housing after taking on a child
• Human rights disputes — discrimination complaints related to your carer status

If Centrelink has raised a debt against you (for example, overpayment after a care arrangement changed), Canberra Community Law is the service to call.

Women's Legal Centre ACT

For female kinship carers navigating complex family law, domestic violence protection orders and care arrangements with an abusive ex-partner or parent, the Women's Legal Centre ACT offers specialised legal services. They handle the intersection of family violence and kinship care — situations where pursuing child support or a parenting order might expose you to harm.

Relationships Australia (Canberra and Region)

If you want to try resolving the care arrangement with the biological parent without going to court, Relationships Australia offers accredited family care conferencing, mediation and dispute resolution services. A voluntary parenting plan agreed through mediation can formalise who has care without court costs or delays — though it does not carry the same legal weight as a court order.

How to Prepare Before You Call

Every one of these services will be more effective if you arrive organised:

• A timeline of when you took on care, what triggered the arrangement, and what has happened since
• Copies of any documents you have filed (statutory declarations, Centrelink forms, school enrolment)
• A list of your specific questions — the time with an adviser is limited

The ACT Kinship Carer Support guide includes a contact directory for all ACT kinship services and preparation checklists for legal and advocacy appointments.

See more Australian Capital Territory guides →