October 2026 Canterbury Caregiver News

Kia ora koutou,

Spring is always my favourite time of year, especially in Canterbury when the lambs are running around the paddocks, the garden comes to life, and we have clear blue skies. It’s always nice to farewell Winter and look forward to some sunshine (hopefully) and the count down to the end of the year begins!

It’s been a tough Winter with sickness, and everyone begins to feel tired. I hope everyone has opportunities to practice self-care and compassion- if you are looking for support, or someone to talk to who ‘gets it’, please get in touch, sometimes sharing the challenges with someone who understands is the start of self-care.

If you are interested in a support group catchup, but find that nothing is suitable, please let me know as many caregivers tell me they would love to connect with others in their area. I hope you all enjoy some whānau time over the school holidays!

Self-directed TRAINING

Have you tried our new registration process for online caregiver training yet? If you’re an eligible trainee, we’ve started sending you a monthly invitation from our training platform, with a link to find out more and register for courses in the next intake.

We’d love to hear your feedback while the platform is still new – as it has been designed with your busy days in mind. Like any new system, we have experienced some teething issues, but we’re working hard behind the scenes to ensure the process is seamless for you. Send any thoughts and comments to us at training@caringfamilies.org.nz

If you’re caregiving under an Agency, our monthly invitations to register for training are sent to your Agency instead. Have a chat with your Agency and let them know which courses you’d like to start!

You can find information about our caregiver training courses and the registration process here – Self-directed Online Learning – Caring Families

New courses for October

This month we’re introducing two new Additional Courses to our training suite. Each course takes approximately one hour to complete, but you don’t need to finish them in one sitting – just like all our courses, you can dip in and out and save your progress as you go.

Helping Babies Heal – understanding the impact of trauma
Learn how to recognise and respond to the emotional and developmental needs of an infant or toddler in your care. We’ll leave you with strategies for building trust, security and healthy attachment.

They Care Too – the impact of fostering on biological children
We explore the experiences of biological children in mixed caregiving households, navigate the unique challenges (and some opportunities too!) and learn practical strategies to support positive relationships and help the whole family thrive.

Register by Tuesday 6 October if you’d like to take advantage of this training, or any of our Foundational Level courses, this month.

Missed the email?
We’ve received a few enquiries from caregivers who haven’t seen the email from our registration platform inviting you to register for courses. If this sounds familiar, check your junk mail or search for these details in your Inbox – sender “no-reply@caringfamilies.net.nz” and subject “Invitation to sign up for Caring Families Aotearoa training course”.

EVENTS

Timaru- Family Fun Day!
Come and join me at the Timaru Family Fun Day on 11 October. I will be there from 11-2pm. Please come say hello! Follow the link to register and secure your tickets! Family Fun Days 2026 – Caring Families

50th Anniversary Support Group Celebrations
We have already held some lovely 50th Support Group Celebrations around the region and it has been so nice to connect with Support Group Members at these celebrations.

I will be in the Ashburton area for a South Canterbury Support Group 50th Celebration. We are working on establishing this group – please RSVP through the email you would have received or email me for details; canterbury@caringfamilies.org.nz

As we celebrate our 50th Anniversary, there are lots of ways to get involved. You can enter our monthly competition, register for a free gift, watch our 50th Anniversary video, or read some inspiring stories from some very special people who have helped shape who we are today as an organisation. If you haven’t already seen all the ways we are celebrating, click here to find out more –  Celebrating 50 Years of Caring for Families across Aotearoa – Caring Families

Caregiver Tūhono in Wigram
Join me and other caregivers for a cuppa in Wigram on Friday 30 October. I’ll be in the area, so if you’d like to make some connections with others on a similar journey, please drop in! Email me to RSVP: canterbury@caringfamilies.org.nz

Date & Time: Friday 30 October, 10.30am – 12pm
Venue: Cocoa Black, 110 The Runway, Wigram, Christchurch

SUPPORT

Christchurch Support Group
Date: Friday 13  October 2026
Time: 10.00am
Location: Cafe Jireh, 81 Bickerton Street, Wainoni
Please RSVP to Lisa: canterbury@caringfamilies.org.nz

North Canterbury Support Group
Date: Tuesday 20 October 2026
Time: 11am
Location: Waipara – Deb’s place

Please bring a plate to share for lunch. New members and children are welcome!
Please contact Debbie or Emma for more information and to RSVP: debbiecurtis1965@gmail.com

If you need someone to talk to feel free to contact me, your Regional Coordinator:

M: 027 501 0005 / E: canterbury@caringfamilies.org.nz

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

My hours of work are 9am – 3pm Monday through to Friday.