What is Better Placements, Better Outcomes?

For children and young people in out‑of‑home care, the right placement at the right time can shape their safety, stability and sense of belonging.

Better Placements, Better Outcomes is a new, system‑wide approach to how placements are identified. It brings together carers, service providers and DCJ through shared, up‑to‑date information.

This system will support a more targeted approach – helping identify carers who are better suited to a child’s needs, more quickly and with greater confidence.

What this means in practice:

• children are matched with carers who can meet their needs
• placements can be found faster and with fewer delays
• carers are only contacted about placements that fit their circumstances
• providers and caseworkers spend less time managing process, and more time supporting children and carers.

What's changing across the system

Better Placements, Better Outcomes brings together three connected stages, each building on the last.

Stage 1: Stronger, carer data

At the heart of this change is better information. We’re linking information from the Office of the Children’s Guardian Carer Register and Permanency Support Program providers– including authorisation status and authorising conditions – across ChildStory and Partner Community.

This creates a clearer, shared picture of who carers are and the types of placements they can support (based on their authorising conditions).

This shared understanding is essential for improving how matches are made.

Stage 2: Carer Connect NSW

Carer Connect NSW gives carers a more active role in the system.

Through a secure online platform, carers can:

• update their availability, including regular patterns
• maintain their household information, including culture, language, environment, and seats in a car
• share their skills, qualifications and experience
• access support and resources.

• access support and resources.

This means the system reflects carers’ current capacity and preferences.

For providers, this creates greater confidence in the information being used to support placement decisions.

Where carers are unable or choose not to use the app, providers can continue to support them by maintaining their information on their behalf.

Kinship carers are not included in placement matching. However, they will have access to Carer Connect NSW for resources and updates.

Stage 3: Digital Foster Carer Search Tool

The new search capability changes how placements are identified.

Caseworkers will be able to:

• identify carers based on the specific needs of a child
• filter using real‑time information about availability and authorisation
• move away from broad broadcast processes to targeted matching.

For providers, this means fewer broadcast requests and a more focused approach to identifying suitable placements.