June 2026 Lower South Caregiver News
Kia ora koutou,
Winter has hit down here in the south, with the cold and frost often greeting us in the mornings. One thing I love about winter here is seeing our tamariki outside with warm jackets, exploring or kicking a ball around in the sunshine. The winter is often a balance of what is the weather doing today and what bugs have we managed to avoid or catch this week. Most of all it’s about being able to be flexible and adjust our plans and expectations to meet what is in front of us for the week.
The last few months I have been connecting with some of the Kaimahi who also support our caregivers and young people in the Otago and Southland area. The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Care Action Network (FASD-CAN) have engaged a navigator to help support our whānau in Te Wai Pounamu/South Island.
Jacqui Mikkelson at FASD-CAN is a great source of information for FASD, providing training and support for our young people and the caregivers that are parenting them. If you need to contact her, check here details here: Jacqui Mikkelson at FASD-CAN
VOYCE Whakarongo Mai is another organisation that provides support for any young person who is care experienced, including those in informal whānau arrangements. They can support young people and advocate/give them a voice in different settings. The team who covers Otago and Southland are experienced Kaimahi and are passionate about supporting our youth to achieve the best outcomes. Their contact details can be found on their website: VOYCE – WHAKARONGO MAI.
Ngā mihi,
Stacey
TRAINING
Our latest online self-directed training topic is one that covers a statement we often hear from our caregivers – “I wish I’d known about that in the beginning!” Read below to find out more about Caregiving 101, and the understanding it gives you to navigate your caregiving journey.
Caregiving 101
Caregiving 101 is open for registration for the first time this month, alongside our online suite of foundational level training courses. There are two versions, one for Formal caregivers and one for Informal caregivers. Just like most of our training, each course will take about one hour to complete.
For ease of definition, the Formal course is for statutory caregivers (inside the state care system), who receive a board payment for a child in their care. The Informal course is for non-statutory caregivers (outside the state care system) who receive the Unsupported Child Benefit, the Orphan’s Benefit, or do not receive a board payment.
Both courses have tools, resources and advice to create a positive and nurturing environment for the tamariki and rangatahi in your care. They offer valuable insights into your unique role and responsibilities, and guidance to understand the challenges and rewards of caregiving.
Register before 5pm on Monday 8 June and you’ll receive access to begin your training on Tuesday 9 June.
EVENTS
If you’d like to see an event in your area, I’d love to hear your ideas. You can contact me by email to lowersouth@caringfamilies.org.nz.
SUPPORT
The journey for caregivers and young people is one that can feel lonely sometimes and connecting with others that “get” or understand our story is one of the most positive steps we can take. This includes coming along to one of our support groups to catch up and share the load with other caregivers.
Otago/Southland has a variety of support/coffee groups that are always keen to welcome new caregivers. If you would like to connect with a group or haven’t attended for a while, make sure to check our Lower South Facebook page or contact me lowersouth@caringfamilies.org.nz for more information.
These groups are a great way to engage with others in your community who are on their caregiving journey!
Dunedin Support Group
Group Contact: Andrea, email faulksfamily@xtra.co.nz
Next Meeting: Thursday 11 June
Time: 10.30am
Place: The Grange Cafe, 19 Clachan Grange Road, Mosgiel
South Otago Support Group
We are looking at getting a Support Group active in the South Otago area (Balclutha). If you are interested feel free to send me a message or email me (details below).
If you need someone to talk to, feel free to connect with me, your Regional Coordinator:
Phone 027 501 0392
Email: lowersouth@caringfamilies.org.nz
My hours of work are 9.00am – 2.30pm Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Or you can call our National Office on 0800 693 323.