Awareness

The cry of my heart and the work of my life has become to give voice to children and families experiencing foster care.  I am a biological, foster and adoptive mama and God has shaped our family in unexpected ways along this journey, as we’ve had the privilege of caring for children for a chapter …

This week is Foster Care Week in many States and Territories across Australia. Foster Care Week is an opportunity to:Celebrate the unique contribution of Foster and Kinship Carers;Recognise the work of Out-of-Home Care organisations;Stand with young people in care, full of purpose and potential; andBelieve for the restoration of families. Join us in praying for …

“We need to wake the sleeping giant that is the church in the foster care space.” When I first heard my friend say these words, something in me stirred. It was five years ago and part of a catalytic season for what was to become The Homeward Project.  Fast forward to last week when I …

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 …

You’ve heard it said, probably hundreds of times, that it takes a village to raise a child. Easy to say, perhaps harder to do. There are an increasing number of children entering the Out-of-Home Care system because their family of birth isn’t safe. Social isolation and loneliness are increasingly being recognised as a major issue …

Why does the church have a role to play in the foster care system in Australia? God desires that His people represent His heart, living as ambassadors of a different kind of Kingdom, one of justice and righteousness. The prophet Amos used some pretty strong language to tell people what God wasn’t interested in… religious …

We asked Michelle – an accredited Mental Health Social Worker with decades of experience in child protection working with children who have an experience of trauma and their carers – what advice would you give to someone entering into Foster Care? Talk to other carers to find out the reality. There’s an idea of Foster …

The outcomes for children who’ve been in Out-of-Home Care do not tell a good story. Regardless of the reasons for it, separation from family is a traumatic experience. This trauma is often compounded by multiple placements resulting from any combination of the impacts of trauma, ill-equipped carers, or decisions being made by a care system …

What’s the hardest thing about Foster Care? There can be a range of concerns for people when considering becoming a Foster Carer.  Being a ‘public parent’ can be difficult and the department decision-making process can be frustrating. Handling behaviours you might not have encountered before, navigating impacts on your biological children, and engaging with birth …

Culture is a key consideration within the Out-of-Home Care space. Regardless of the reason why a child or young person enters the care systems, it involves loss. They experience a level of disconnection from their family and the world they’ve known. Culture is interrelated with family, identity, safety, and wellbeing. Disconnection from culture represents another …

Your health as a carer and care family is not solely dependent on how strong you or your family are. Community is an essential component of helping you thrive. We are wired for connection. In community is where we flourish. As you commit to providing Foster Care or Kinship Care, your community is being called …

Our theology and philosophy of Foster Care is grace-based for everyone involved in the story of a child in Foster Care. With so many stakeholders involved, what does being a team player look like in the world of Foster Care? Foster Carers are part of a team, working in partnership to provide what’s best for …