The crisis in foster care, and who's looking after feral cats? episode artwork

EPISODE · Oct 26, 2025 · 55 MIN

The crisis in foster care, and who's looking after feral cats?

from Life Matters - Full program podcast · host Australian Broadcasting Corporation

In Victoria, some foster carers are reporting sudden reductions in their allowances for looking after children with high-level needs. It highlights the ongoing challenges around the country when it comes to finding foster carers for children who need safe and stable homes. So, what needs to change? Emma is a foster carer, Samantha Hauge is Chief executive of the Foster Care Association of Victoria, and Renée Leigh is CEO of Adopt Change, and member of the National Foster & Kinship Care Collective.In Queensland, it's illegal to feed or rehome stray cats.Councils favour trapping and euthanising - in a bid to protect wildlife. We could be about to see changes to the regulations. So, how do we strike a balance between kindness to all animals - and preserving our fragile ecosystem? John Tracey is CEO of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland and Jacquie Rand is the Executive Director of Australian Pet Welfare Foundation.There's a new type of consumer pricing that’s targeted just to you – personalised pricing. It’s a price set just for you, based on how much a company thinks you’re willing to pay for something because of your own distinct internet trail. So how do you know if this is happening to you? And is there anything you can do about it? Meg Elkins is an associate professor of behavioural and applied economics at RMIT University.

In Victoria, some foster carers are reporting sudden reductions in their allowances for looking after children with high-level needs. It highlights the ongoing challenges around the country when it comes to finding foster carers for children who need safe and stable homes. So, what needs to change? Emma is a foster carer, Samantha Hauge is Chief executive of the Foster Care Association of Victoria, and Renée Leigh is CEO of Adopt Change, and member of the National Foster & Kinship Care Collective. In Queensland, it's illegal to feed or rehome stray cats.Councils favour trapping and euthanising - in a bid to protect wildlife. We could be about to see changes to the regulations. So, how do we strike a balance between kindness to all animals - and preserving our fragile ecosystem? John Tracey is CEO of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland and Jacquie Rand is the Executive Director of Australian Pet Welfare Foundation. There's a new type of consumer pricing that’s targeted just to you – personalised pricing. It’s a price set just for you, based on how much a company thinks you’re willing to pay for something because of your own distinct internet trail. So how do you know if this is happening to you? And is there anything you can do about it? Meg Elkins is an associate professor of behavioural and applied economics at RMIT University.

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The crisis in foster care, and who's looking after feral cats?

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This episode was published on October 26, 2025.

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In Victoria, some foster carers are reporting sudden reductions in their allowances for looking after children with high-level needs. It highlights the ongoing challenges around the country when it comes to finding foster carers for children who...

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