Sunday 14th September

Churches across Australia are setting aside a Sunday to recognise, celebrate and respond to the needs of children, carers, and families in the foster care system.Whether you take part on September 14 or another Sunday that suits, we invite your church to join in this growing movement of prayer, awareness and action.

Download the Toolkit Below!

Foster Care Sunday Video 2025
COMING SOON!Want to see past Foster Care Sunday videos? → View them on Vimeo

What is Foster Care Sunday?

Foster Care Sunday is a national day for churches to:

  • Celebrate the courage and commitment of foster and kinship carers

  • Honour the resilience and value of children in care

  • Raise awareness of the growing need in our communities

  • Explore how the Church can be a place of welcome and belonging

Together, we’re responding to God’s call to love and serve those often overlooked — and creating space where children and families can flourish.

Why This Matters...

Right now, more than 45,000 children across Australia are growing up in out-of-home care. The need for safe, supportive homes is growing — but the number of foster carers is in decline.As followers of Jesus, we’re called to care for the vulnerable, create places of belonging, and reflect God’s love in action. Foster Care Sunday is a chance for churches to respond with compassion and hope.

How to Take Part

You don’t need a huge event, just a heart to engage.
Here’s how your church can get involved in a few simple steps:

  • Choose your date: Most churches participate on Sunday 14 September 2025, but any date works.

  • Download the free Church Toolkit: It includes ideas, prayer points, talking points, and helpful resources for your service or gathering.

  • Play the Foster Care Sunday video: You can share it in your service, kids program, youth group or small groups.

  • Pray together: Pray for children in care, carers, birth families, and the teams who support them.

  • Invite your community to consider their next step: Use the information in the Toolkit, or invite one of our partner organisations to speak or connect.

Download the Toolkit

The Toolkit contains information, ideas, and resources to help you host Foster Care Sunday in your church.

By submitting this form you agree to be contacted by members of the Australian Christian Foster Care Network regarding the Foster Care Sunday campaign. You can refer to our Privacy Policy.

What's Your Next Step?

Foster Care Sunday is just the start.
There are many ways individuals and churches can continue to support children and families involved in the out-of-home care system:

FOR INDIVIDUALS:

We don't all have to do the same thing, but we can all do something.

  • Explore foster care or respite care

  • Support a carer in your community

  • Mentor or volunteer

  • Advocate or raise awareness

  • Pray and give

We’d love to help you explore your potential next step - reach out to one of the partner organisations listed below for more information and resources.

FOR CHURCHES:

The local church has a unique role to play in making sure there is a home for every child who needs one and support for every carer who is opening their home.
There are many ways to engage:

  • Offer practical and pastoral support to carers

  • Raise awareness throughout the year and provide pathways for people to respond

  • Host an information session for people to learn more about how to get involved

  • Host a gathering for carers, or a respite event for them to have a break

  • Equip your children's team through trauma-informed training

  • Connect with a local foster care organisation and explore any support needs

We’d love to help your church take a next step that fits your heart, people, and context. Reach out to one of the partner organisations listed below for access to practical resources and support.

Foster Care Sunday is led by a coalition of Christian organisations partnering to equip the Church to respond with faith, hope and action.

ARK Australia

ARK Australia is a movement of communities dedicated to providing family and belonging to vulnerable kids through foster care and adoption. They:

  • Can bring a message to your church

  • Host the 'Faith & Fostering Podcast

  • Provide no obligation online information sessions

  • Oversee a growing nationwide network of peer-support communities, designed to ‘be the village’ for children in care

Fostering Hope

Fostering Hope exists to reflect Christ's love by supporting at-risk children and those who care for them. They do this by:

  • Raising awareness about the number of children growing up in out of home care and shortage of foster/kinship carers

  • Recruiting new carers

  • Offering ongoing pastoral care and support to carers and their families.

The Homeward Project

The Homeward Project equips the local church for a holistic ministry of Out-of-Home Care. We provide practical resources, pathways and ongoing support to recruit and support foster carers and mobilise members of your church to serve vulnerable children and families in your community in a range of different ways. We don't all have to do the same thing, but we can all do something.

You Parties

You Parties is an easy-to-use resource for local churches to help them partner with foster families & celebrate their foster children. Our party-throwing kits are designed specially to communicate love and value to children in out-of-home care by celebrating them in unique and fun ways.

The Australian Christian Foster Care Network is a coalition of organisations committed to raising awareness and inspiring action around Foster Care across Australian churches. The coalition is committed to protecting the privacy of personal information that is collected, held and administered. Personal information is any information which directly or indirectly identifies a person. Any personal information provided via this website will be collected, used and disclosed as set out in this Privacy Policy.