Kinship Carer Support Groups in NSW
Finding Other Kinship Carers in NSW
Raising a relative's child is isolating in a way that other grandparents and friends often do not understand. The grief, the paperwork, the financial pressure, the awkwardness of parent contact — these things are specific to kinship care, and the people best placed to help are other kinship carers who have been through the same system.
NSW has several organisations running peer support groups, telephone support, and advocacy services specifically for grandparents and kinship carers.
GRaKCA (Grandparent, Relative and Kinship Carer Alliance)
Phone: (02) 9286 3860 or 1800 449 102 Run by COTA NSW (Council on the Ageing), GRaKCA is the peak advocacy and support network for grandparent and kinship carers in New South Wales. Services include:
- Peer support groups across metropolitan and regional NSW — regular meet-ups where carers share practical advice and emotional support.
- Individual advocacy — help navigating DCJ, Centrelink, school systems, and legal pathways.
- Information sessions on payments, entitlements, and how the care system works.
- Policy advocacy — GRaKCA represents kinship carers' interests in government consultations and policy reviews.
GRaKCA is a good starting point if you are unsure where to turn. The staff understand the difference between formal and informal care and can direct you to the right financial and legal services.
My Forever Family NSW
Phone: 1300 782 975
My Forever Family is the NSW Government-funded service supporting foster, kinship, and permanent carers. It provides:
- Training programs — pre-authorisation training for new carers and ongoing development workshops for current carers.
- Support and advice — case consultation and practical guidance on managing placements.
- Online resources — information tailored to NSW carers, including fact sheets and training calendars.
My Forever Family primarily serves carers in the formal system (those with DCJ involvement), but informal carers can access information and referrals through their phone line.
Free Download
Get the NSW Kinship Carer Checklist
Everything in this article as a printable checklist — plus action plans and reference guides you can start using today.
Carer Gateway
Phone: 1800 422 737
Carer Gateway is the national carer support service funded by the Australian Government. It is not specific to kinship care — it serves all carers — but the services are directly relevant:
- Counselling — free phone and face-to-face counselling for carers experiencing stress, grief, or burnout.
- Emergency respite coordination — help arranging short-term care so you can take a break.
- Practical assistance — help with transport, household tasks, and care coordination.
- Peer support — facilitated support groups in your area or online.
Carer Gateway is especially useful for kinship carers who need respite but do not have a DCJ caseworker to arrange it.
Mirabel Foundation
Phone: (02) 4023 2347 (NSW office)
The Mirabel Foundation specifically supports children who have been orphaned or abandoned due to parental drug or alcohol use, and their kinship carers. Services include:
- Case management — ongoing support for the carer and the child, including help accessing services and navigating government systems.
- Children's programs — camps, activity days, and mentoring for children in kinship care.
- Emergency material aid — assistance with clothing, bedding, school supplies, and other essentials when a child first arrives.
If the child in your care came to you because of parental substance abuse, the Mirabel Foundation understands that specific situation and the complications it creates around contact, grief, and the child's behaviour.
Regional and Online Options
If you live in outer-regional NSW and cannot easily attend a face-to-face group:
- Carer Gateway (1800 422 737) runs online peer support groups that you can join from home.
- GRaKCA (1800 449 102) can connect you with telephone-based peer support or a carer in your region.
- Grandparents Australia maintains a national online forum and resource directory.
Getting the Most from a Support Group
Support groups work best when you arrive with specific questions. Before your first meeting, write down the two or three things causing you the most stress — whether that is a Centrelink payment that was rejected, a school that will not enrol the child, or conflict with the child's parents. The other carers in the room have likely dealt with the same problem and can point you to the specific person or phone number that resolved it.
The NSW Kinship Carer Support guide includes a complete directory of support services — legal, financial, and peer — with phone numbers, eligibility criteria, and what each service can and cannot do.
Get Your Free NSW Kinship Carer Checklist
Download the NSW Kinship Carer Checklist — a printable guide with checklists, scripts, and action plans you can start using today.