October 2026 Lower South Caregiver News
Stacey Penrose
Lower South Regional Coordinator
Mobile: 027 501 0392
Kia ora everyone,
Spring in the South must be one of my favourite times of the year. The daffodils are popping up everywhere, and lambing season is of course a favourite with my girls who love to see them bouncing around the fields. I always have great intentions of starting a garden each spring and this year I think I have made progress by getting some compost and planting six lettuces so far. Now I just need to keep the momentum going and we may have home grown edibles this summer!
Spring is also the start of our 50th Anniversary Celebrations in the Lower South. Last week was our first event with the Oamaru Support Group, where it was awesome to catch up with everyone and share what we appreciate most about Caring Families Aotearoa.
You can find out more about 50th Support Group Celebrations in the region by reading below.
Our Dunedin Caregiving whānau are also invited to our Spring event on Tuesday 6th October in Green Island. A chance to come along, chat and be part of the activities with our friends at VOYCE. This includes an opportunity to start your own Spring garden in a pot by planting a sunflower or vegetable seed to take home. Come along and join us! Register here – Dunedin Spring Whānau Event – Caring Families
And remember our Family Fun Days kick off in October for Dunedin, Queenstown and Invercargill, get your tickets through the link below!
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 of our 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
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 our 50th Anniversary, click here to find out more: Celebrating 50 Years of Caring for Families across Aotearoa – Caring Families
We also have our Support Group 50th Celebrations in the Lower South. If you are a Support Group member, please look out for an email invitation early in October to register for these events.
Dunedin Support Group 50th Anniversary Celebration
Date: 22nd October
Time: 10.30am
Place: The Grange Cafe, 19 Clachan Grange Road, Mosgiel
Invercargill Support Group 50th Anniversary Celebration
Date: 4th November
Time: 11.30am
Place: Buster Crabb, 326 Dee Street, Invercargill
SUPPORT
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 email 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 on faulksfamily@xtra.co.nz
Next Meeting: 50th Celebration on 22 October (see above)
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 get in touch, using the contact 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.