NSW parents who adopt a foster child may paid up to $37,000 as part of a push to help vulnerable children

NSW parents who adopt a foster child could be paid up to $37,000 a year as part of a state government push to provide secure homes for some of the state's most vulnerable children.

The new reforms would help to deliver support to 900 more children each year, on top of the 19,000 children already in foster care.

Minister for Family and Community Services Pru Goward told Sky News the move would break down financial barriers faced by some potential adoption parents.

'We had a lot of wonderful fosters careers, who had children for 5-6 years and would like to have adopted but couldn't because they were low income workers and couldn't afford to live and bring up that child,' she said.

'I would hate to think that adoption in Australia and NSW became only for a privileged few.

'Let's get rid of financial problems as a barrier and let's get on with adoptions.

'Children in out of home car often have quite complex needs, they have been through a lot and we need to be able to support them.'

Ms Goward said there have been a record number of adoptions in NSW with 100 this year, however only two other adoptions in the rest of the country.

Under the reforms, parents adopting children aged up to four years old would get an allowance of $488 every fortnight, with the allowance increasing to $738 for teenagers.

Ms Goward said she also wants to reduce the red tape around the existing 'rigorous' assessment process which can take up to 10 years to adopt a child, but will be cautious not to risk children going to the 'wrong family'.

'There is a lot to consider, we can improve that process but we will not be doing that at the expense of risking our certainty that we are taking and giving these children to the right families.'

Payments would be 'means tested' for people who are eligible for tax benefit A.

With AAP

Source : http://www.skynews.com.au/news/national/nsw/2017/03/29/nsw-foster-parents-could-be-give-extra-payments.html