Opening Sporting Doors for Children in Out-of-Home Care
A partnership between FosterCare FC and the Club is giving children in Out-of-Home Care across Canterbury-Bankstown the opportunity to participate in local sport and build meaningful connections in their community.
FosterCare FC, launched earlier this year, is an initiative helping children in care overcome financial and logistical barriers to joining local sporting groups. Many children face emotional and social challenges, and participation in sport offers routine, friendship, and positive role models. Early support from Revesby Workers’ Club helped launch the program locally and enabled the team to secure additional grants in other areas.
Revesby Workers’ Club is now the program’s founding impact partner, funding 40 placement of children in the local area. Within just three months since the partnership, 10 children have already been registered into clubs, receiving uniforms, equipment, and fees.
The benefits are clear – children who have experienced trauma gain confidence, social skills, and a sense of belonging. One DCJ Case Worker said a previously shy child now trains twice a week, plays every Saturday, and is “thriving through sports.” Children are known not as “the foster kid,” but as part of a team—the striker, the bowler, the goal attack.
The program also strengthens community ties. Clubs, carers, and case workers collaborate to support children, while FosterCare FC manages coordination to remove barriers such as cost, lack of networks, and complex registration systems.
With the backing of local Clubs, FosterCare Sport is on track to reach 120 children nationally in its first year, with hopes to expand further. This partnership is helping children in care feel included, valued, and connected—both on and off the field.
