Nurses and teachers will be targeted in a Queensland trial of professional foster carers to keep up to 30 children and young people with high-support needs in a stable home environment.
The two-year program will see $3 million spent on ensuring carers are able to care for large sibling groups as well as support children who have a disability, have suffered trauma or need specialised behavioural support.
The professional foster carers will be paid up to $65,000 a year depending on the individual needs of the child.
They will also receive training in fields such as child development and counselling.
"We are extremely lucky to have so many families out there willing to step in and provide a loving home for children who cannot live safely at home," Child Safety Minister Shannon Fentiman said.
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"But we know there are some children coming into care who need an extra level of support and these professional foster carers will help fill that gap."
The number of professional foster carers employed during the trial and how long a child remains with a carer will be determined on individual circumstances.
Opposition spokeswoman Ros Bates criticised Labor for taking two-and-a-half years and an impending election to act on child safety.
"With more than 13,000 abuse investigations caught in lengthy backlogs, Labor are looking for anything to distract from their failures," Ms Bates said.
Victoria announced in October that it would spend $5.6 million for 14 professional foster carers to work with at least 28 children to keep them out of residential care.
