Out of Home Care (OOHC) Data Set

The NSW Government is committed to improving the lives of vulnerable children and their families with better laws, policies, systems and practices. To achieve this, there must be consistent and reliable information about longitudinal out-of-home care outcomes.

Out-of-home care is provided to children and young people who are unable to live with their own families. Foster carers take on the responsibilities of a parent for a period of time, to provide a safe, nurturing and secure family environment for children and young people needing care.

Children and young people stay in care until they are able to safely return home. The length of time in care will vary.  If they're not able to return to their birth parents, the Department will try to locate a member of the child’s extended family to care for them.