Author: leonie@homewardproject.org

Join with churches around Australia to celebrate Foster and Kinship Carers and raise awareness of both the needs and opportunities in the Out-of-home Care space. Foster Care Sunday 2024 is Sunday 8th September. Foster Care Sunday provides an opportunity for the Church to come together in unity to: Email hello@homewardproject.org to request the Foster Care Sunday …

Eva shares about her journey in the care system: things she needed to unlearn, things she’s discovered about God, and how she has become a Foster Carer herself. Eva experienced significant abuse growing up. After moving to a new, unfamiliar country and with the abuse getting worse, she felt completely alone. Through school she came …

Jen* climbed out of her window at 12 years old, needing to escape. It’s been a journey of unlearning and learning; ultimately breaking a cycle and leaving a legacy for the next generation. The love shown by her Foster Carers helped break through the lies that she’d come to believe about herself and she learned …

As a child, the world was blissful for me growing up. I didn’t know a single thing was going wrong in our home life. My mum did a really good job of protecting my sister and I from what was actually happening around us.  I had no idea about the dynamic in my parents’ relationship. …

Have you ever wondered whether your kids have selective hearing? Often you can ask them to do something and get no response. When my son Kaha was little, we applied a strategy recommended by a friend where he would respond with “yes mummy” to let me know he’d heard me. I’d say, “It’s time to …

The day you were born is special. You’re worth celebrating! This is a message every child deserves to receive. Unfortunately, for a range of different reasons, it might not be what is experienced by all children on their birthday.  The traditions and celebration surrounding birthdays are an important part of childhood. For parents and carers …

As a Social Worker, Foster Carer, and someone with a care experience, Naomi has had a front row seat to the world of Foster Care. Naomi is currently a Social Worker with a Christian welfare agency. She’s seen the positive difference that Foster Care can make. “I’ve been in the privileged position to see kids …

Steve and Michelle are on mission as a family. They do all sorts of Foster Care, providing short-term care which might be a week or a few months, longer-term care, respite care for children who are already in a placement to give the carers a break, as well as emergency care which might just be …

Hillsong CityCare partners with Foster Care organisations across the country through their annual Christmas campaign ‘Kilo of Christmas.’ We all know that when we’re singing along to “It’s the most wonderful time of the year,”* that for some, this is very far from reality. The Christmas season puts a spotlight on ‘family’ and can highlight …

The Christmas story can easily become familiar. Thousands of year later, summarised in carols, it can be easy to overlook the layers of meaning and lessons for us within the particular way in which the Word became flesh and blood and came to dwell among us. Scott Hawkins shares about one particular character of the …

Partner with a local Out-of-Home Care organisation at Christmas time. Christmas is a season of generosity. In response to the ultimate gift of Jesus, many churches mobilise their members to contribute towards being a blessing to those in their community that might be doing it tough. If your church runs an annual Christmas Appeal, this …

For Noddy, Ali and Jesse, pursuing Foster Care as a family was a four-year process, full of questions along the way. Looking back, they see it all as God’s timing. We talked to Noddy about his motivations for fostering, some of the barriers people might face, and lessons they’ve learned so far. Jesse, our miracle …

Barb stepped into a part-time Foster Care Chaplain role, not knowing exactly what it would look like but with the support of Lifehouse Church leadership who wanted the church to start engaging in the Foster Care space in some way. The leadership team had been reimagining the possibilities for local mission and were aware of …

Help lead a movement for change. Be a champion for The Homeward Project in your community. Partner with The Homeward Project to spread the word, raise awareness, and rally people around the mission of seeing more homes for children who need one and support for carers opening their homes. Download the Homeward Advocate resource below …

A trauma-informed approach to working with children and young people. The Homeward Project Trauma-informed Training will equip your Kids and Youth Ministry staff and volunteers with understanding of how and why a child from a “hard place” or with a difficult history may behave differently in a church environment. They will also be equipped with …

If you’re wondering if Foster Care is for you, even if you’re still unsure, Foster Care: First Steps is for you. ‘First Steps’ will help deepen your understanding of a faith-based and holistic approach to Foster Care and help you to consider your readiness to pursue it. Topics include: Work through the material online at …