Ideas

A children’s ministry resource to support your children’s program to create an inviting and welcoming environment for kids with an experience of Out-of-Home Care.  Recognising that families come in all shapes and sizes and that for children who have experienced foster care, kinship care, permanent care or adoption, ‘family’ can potentially be a bit of a complicated thing …

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 …

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 …

There are so many ways to provide practical support for carers within your church. Children in care need a lot of focused time with their carers. Sometimes seemingly simple things can go a long way to help carry the load for carers who are giving their lives to providing nurturing, healing, care for children, which …

Help lead a movement for change. Be a champion for The Homeward Project in your church. Homeward Advocates are ambassadors within their church community for children and families involved in the Out-of-Home Care system. Supported by the Homeward Project team every step of the way, Homeward Advocates are familiar with the Homeward framework and resources, …

Any efforts to bring the light of Jesus into hard places should be inspired, guided, and sustained by prayer. Prayer is perhaps the greatest contribution we can give towards seeing God’s Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven within the child protection system, families experiencing separation, and our churches. God wants to engage …

A Homeward Project Info Session is one of the best ways you can engage and mobilise your church in a ministry of Out-of-Home Care. We’re not all called to do the same thing, but we can all do something. A Homeward Info Session for everyone. We’ll equip and support you to plan and host an …

Creating opportunities for connection among those who are, have been, or want to be a carer. Carer Gatherings create a space for carers to regularly connect with others who have a shared experience, in order to support and equip them in their care journey. Gatherings can provide support through prayer, encouragement, and learning opportunities for …

Family visitations are an important part of the process of working towards restoration for families who have been separated. Where decisions are made to facilitate contact between children in care and their families, a safe and consistent space is needed to host visits. The nature and frequency of this is determined on a case-by-case basis …

ARK Communities exist so that carers, whether new or experienced, can connect, support, encourage and grow together. Foster carers, Respite carers, Permanent carers or Adoptive parents all come together to build deep relationships, create a network of support, and provide a ‘village’ for the kids in their care. ARK Communities form ‘extended family’ for each …

There are so many ways that you can play a supportive role in the lives of carers who you know. They have chosen to step into a unique role that is not without its challenges. If you know a Foster Carer, Kinship Carer, Permanent Carer or Guardian, or Adoptive parent, these are some ideas for …

There are people in your church who would make a really great mentor and we want to equip you to mobilise them to make a difference within the Out-of-Home Care space in your local community.  COACH Mentoring is a community-strengthening initiative that empowers individuals and families through one-to-one mentoring, breaking generational cycles of poverty and …

Children and young people can enter foster care without warning and sometimes with nothing but the clothes they’re wearing. During a disorienting experience and in an unfamiliar environment, receiving items that are especially for them doesn’t only provide essential items but also the message that they are seen and valued. There are a number of …