August 2026 Upper South Caregiver News

Kia ora koutou e te whānau,  

I hope you all enjoyed your Matariki weekend and school holidays. I went to the Nelson Matariki event at Saxton Field with my family and grandchildren. It was lovely to have a nice clear night and to see so many people attend. There were amazing food stalls, and my favourite is always the kapa haka. Over the weekend we carried on with family gatherings with lots of favourite meals and planning for the coming year. Future plans are always a wonderful mix of hopes and dreams and contentious debate in our house, and how it pans out remains to be seen!

Term 3 is planning time for me, and we can look forward to some lovely 50th Celebrations around the Upper South with our Support Groups. I look forward to seeing you if you can attend any of them.

Ngā mihi,
Denise

Training

Our latest online self-directed course, What is Blocked Trust?, offers some guidance for supporting tamariki who might resist comfort or connection even in the most caring homes.

Blocked trust can develop when tamariki have experienced early trauma, neglect, or disrupted attachment, making it difficult for them to feel safe, trust others, or form secure relationships. As a result, they may appear withdrawn, defensive, highly independent, or reluctant to accept support.

This course will help you understand how blocked trust develops, recognise its signs, and respond with practical, compassionate strategies grounded in Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP).

Registrations for this course intake close on Friday 7 August. Click below for more details.

Events

As mentioned previously, this year we are excited to commemorate 50 years of standing alongside caregivers and celebrate your dedication and aroha to tamariki in care. We have already been sharing inspiring stories from some of the people whose dedication and vision have helped shape Caring Families Aotearoa over the past 50 years, as well as some of the presentations from the wonderful speakers we have had at our conferences. This month we also launch our 50th Anniversary video which tells the story of our growth and milestones over the years.

We would now like to share with you, that we are planning 50th Celebration Catch-Ups with our Support Groups around the motu, and we have an exciting monthly competition for you to win one of five luxury gift bags to give away, plus you can register to receive a little thank you gift in the post.

Please look out for communications about the 50th Birthday Celebrations or click here for more.

Support

Nelson Coffee Group
Date: Monday 24th August (Please note change of normal schedule)
Time: 10am
Venue: Tahunanui Community Hub, 55 Muritai Street, Nelson
Please RSVP – Txt Denise 0273693333

Blenheim Coffee Catch up
Please note, the Blenheim Support Group is meeting twice this month.

Date: Friday 14th August
Time: 10am
Venue: Runway Cafe, 760 Middle Renwick Road, Woodbourne
Please RSVP – Txt Kim Boyce 020 4071 6954

AND

Date: Friday 28 August
Time: 10am
Venue: Vines Cafe, 193 Rapaura Road
Please RSVP – Text Kim Boyce 020 4071 6954

If you need someone to talk to feel free to connect with me, your Regional Coordinator; M: 027 369 3333 | E: uppersouth@caringfamilies.org.nz. Or you can call our national office on 0800 693 323.

Or you can call our national office on 0800 693 323.

My hours of work are 8.30am – 4.30pm Monday through to Thursday.

Ngā mihi nui,
Denise