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A message from My Forever Family NSW

Dear Friend

Can you believe we are halfway through the year? It feels like our children have just returned to school and now the school holidays are bearing down on us.

It has been a busy month including a focus on our campaign to keep Aboriginal kids connected with family culture, by engaging more community members who are able to provide kinship or foster care for Aboriginal children and young people. The campaign which includes Luke Carroll and Braidon Burns has started some great conversations and the start of the carer journey for some.

We will continue our online offerings into July and August and review what is possible for face-to-face delivery and meetups after August, with the continuing COVID-19 precautions. If you have a view or an interest in a particular area of training or support, we would be pleased to hear from you. Just contact us on enquiries@myforeverfamily.org.au.

Thank you to all carers who were involved in contributing to the research that we undertook with the Institute of Open Adoption Studies at the University of Sydney. All of the feedback you provide us with is used to inform what we do and to advocate on your behalf.

You can read the final version of the research Testing media messages: Barriers and motivations to recruiting carers for children and young people aged 9+ on our website.

Over the coming year, we will be doing some additional work focussing particularly on further carer support and engagement in three of the regions. This will form part of our continued work in building up peer support and reference groups, and our soon to launch mentor program.

Connect with us; connect with each other. If I used an emoji, I would say we are feeling ‘excited’. Enjoy the holidays.

Miriam Moloney
Head of Advocacy, Engagement and Operations

Become a part-time carer

If you know someone who can open their home to a child one weekend a month, or for a few days during school holidays, please share this video with them and ask them to give us a call.

Industry Update

Contact Mediation through Legal Aid.

As a result of changes to the Care and Protection Act, Legal Aid NSW is now facilitating mediations in relation to S86(1A) Contact disputes in Care and Protection matters.

Pursuant to S86(1A) (b) and (c), after care proceedings have been finalised, parties can file an application for a contact order. Prior to granting leave in relation to the application, the Children's Court must consider whether the parties have attempted to reach agreement by participating in alternative dispute resolution. Legal Aid is providing that alternative dispute resolution.

Contact Mediations

Research

The final phase of our research into the recruitment of carers for children 9+ is now complete.

Read the full version of the research on our website via the button below.

COVID-19 and Me helps children and young people in out-of-home care capture their experience of the pandemic as part of their Life Story!

It's designed to complement Life Story work and can be used as a ‘point in time’ addition to existing resources.

We recently discovered Penny Jaye's book 'The Other Brother.' It’s a story about the arrival of a new sibling into a happy family of five, told from the perspective of the until-then youngest child, Jayden James. We have two signed copies of The Other Brother by Penny Jaye to giveaway!

Just email us with your name, address and a contact number and you’ll go in the draw to receive one of these beautifully illustrated books.

Terms and conditions

It takes a village...

We wanted to share with you this fabulous campaign currently being hosted by Adopt Change, working alongside Fams and BackTrack Youth Works for the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People on raising awareness that it "takes a village" to raise and protect children.

Our kids are our future, and we all have a part to play in keeping them safe. Please share this video and encourage others to reach out if they can help too.

Resources

Online Training – Bite size!

Our webinars offer easily digestible information that can be viewed any time you like. Many carers tell us they like to watch them during their lunch break. So next time you’re eating at your desk why not brush up on some training at the same time.

Free Courses

Training

“We just completed your mini online First Aid Course and want to let you know that Mary was excellent, better than other first aid courses I have completed”

If you haven’t reviewed our upcoming training schedule yet, please do. We have a full schedule for July now on our website.

Carer Support FAQ’s

Did you know that the Centrelink Grandparent Advisory Line is not just for grandparent and kinship carers?

Any authorised carer in NSW can use this number to avoid waiting in the general Centrelink queue and your query will be answered by someone that specialises in OOHC.

Call 1800 245 965, the number is free from home phones.

Active kids and Creative kids

With community activities close to starting again, here's a reminder as to how you can get your kids involved in local sport, recreation and creative pursuits through the NSW Government’s Active Kids and Creative Kids programs.

Under the Active Kids program, parents and carers can receive two $100 vouchers, per child, each year and The Creative Kids program provides families with one $100 voucher per year to support the costs of children’s creative and cultural interests.

To find out more and see a list of registered providers.

Help with Research

Have you ever cared for a young person who became a parent before the age of 25?

Young parents, their carers, and their agency workers are invited to participate in telephone/ZOOM interviews to share their views of placements, supports, and services for young parents with a care experience in NSW.

For more information, please contact Amy Gill at the University of Sydney by SMS: 0420268146 or email

Find out more

Team Member Profile

Name: Terry Georgeson
Position: Carer Support

What does a normal day at My Forever Family NSW look like for you?

Every day is a bit different as I never know what calls or emails are going to come through. I enjoy being able to see and chat to carers in the Online Lounge Room and have enjoyed being able to offer carers the one-on-one coaching sessions.

It’s hard sometimes to hear all the struggles that carers go through but so rewarding when there is a positive outcome for a carer and the kids in their care.

Working from home through COVID and needing to home-school for some of that time has been good in many ways, as I can relate to what carers may be going through.

What do you enjoy most about your role?
I enjoy meeting and talking to very special people who have opened up their hearts and their homes to kids, so they can have a better future and learn that there is love and care for them in the world.

What is your favourite location in NSW and why?

I like the Blue Mountains-I was born and raised in that area for the first few years of my life and I enjoy the clear air, the freshness and the cold.

My Forever Family NSW program is funded by the NSW Government and operated by Adopt Change.

The My Forever Family NSW newsletter is produced by the Communications team.

If you would like to contribute, have your say or simply ask a question, please

Disclaimer: The information and advice provided in this document/website is general information. It may not apply to a particular case, and as such, must not be taken as legal advice.

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