Critical Support Volunteer: Wayne MarshallWayne Marshall has been a Volunteer Critical Support Worker with Caring Families Aotearoa since 2009. In honour of Te Wiki Tūao ā-Motu (National Volunteer Week), we spoke to Wayne about his experience as a Critical Support...
Kia ora , Winter is officially here – time to break out the hot water bottles and pumpkin soup (if you haven’t already). Unfortunately, along with the cooler temperatures we have seen a number of severe weather events around the country. We are holding those who have...
What is PACE?To put it simply, PACE is one of the core components of Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP) developed by Doctor Dan Hughes. PACE is an acronym that stands for Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy, and is a central part of the parenting model we...
A Story of PACEOne of our Regional Coordinators, who is also a caregiver, has experienced first-hand the effects of developmental trauma on his children, and the power of PACE in helping them heal. For those of you who aren’t familiar, PACE is an acronym that stands...
Kia ora , This month we celebrate Mother’s Day and I sincerely hope all you wonderful mothers are treated to the day off and special time with whānau. As I reflect on what Mother's Day means for me, I realise how blessed I am to be celebrating the day with four...
Well, what a welcome to 2023 some of us have had. Our thoughts are with all our affected whānau around the country. The stories and images that have come from the Upper North, East Coast and some of our central north regions have been heartbreaking. So many people...
A message for our members affected by cyclone GabrielleAs cyclone Gabrielle continues to cause devastation and loss in the North Island, we would like to take a moment to let you know that our hearts are with you, and we are thinking of those that have been affected....
Happy New Year to you all and welcome to 2023. I hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas break, were able to put your feet up, (even if only for a few minutes), and spend quality time with loved ones. It was certainly nice to have some warm weather, although the...
Kaikohe Coffee Club get crafty with clay and paintHelping to facilitate support groups is an important part of what we do here at Caring Families Aotearoa. We know that caregiving is not an easy job, and when times get tough it’s important to have people in your...
FULL TANKLooking after yourself through the summer holidaysCaring Families Aotearoa's Therapist, Rob Surtees, is an avid believer in Caregivers practicing self care in order to provide the best care for tamariki. He is also our organisation's resident car enthusiast,...
Kia ora, It's hard to believe the countdown to Christmas has started for another year! Christmas can be a challenging yet rewarding time for caregivers. The tamariki in your care may be experiencing many complex emotions,which can present themselves as difficult...
2022 Excellence in Foster Care Awards At Caring Families Aotearoa, we have the privilege of working with and supporting so many amazing caregivers who go above and beyond what is expected of them for the tamariki and rangatahi in their care. Every year as an...
Face Your Future 2022On Wednesday 28th & Thursday 29th September we took 29 care experienced rangatahi to the 13th Face Your Future. This year Face Your Future had a makeover!!! For the first time in its 13 year history, this year’s event was an overnight camp...
A wonderful caregiver giving back in TaurangaFor those that need a safe place to flee to, Shona Sharp’s home has always had an open door. Over the years this remarkable women has taken in young woman, and occasionally men, who have suffered domestic violence or...
As many of you are aware, this month we are saying farewell to our longest standing member of the Caring Families Aotearoa team. Andeana Pilalis has been with Caring Families since we were The New Zealand Family and Foster Care Federation back in 2009 and has proven...
We were very excited to hear Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announce that the numbers for inside events, under Red, would move from 100 to 200. This means that should we still be in the 'traffic light system' and under Red in September we are most likely going to be...
One-on-One SupportSometimes, having someone to help you navigate the ‘where, what and who’ of a situation provides relief and can make it clearer. Our Regional Coordinators across Aotearoa are here to do just that – awhi, support and advocate for you when you need it....
Linda's MessageKia ora e te whānau These are truly challenging times for all of us now. We must make so many decisions about what is right for us and others, and as a country. We at Caring Families Aotearoa have had to make some tough decisions over the past two...
Price of FuelThe price of fuel has risen so much lately that we squeeze the trigger of the fuel pump slowly, because we don’t want to see the dollars racing upwards on the screen. However, the cost of not filling our own tanks can be even more devastating for us and...
School and Year Start-up PaymentIf you are receiving the Unsupported Child’s Benefit (UCB) or the Orphan’s Benefit (OB), you are eligible for a School and Year Start-up Payment. The School and Year Start-up Payment is to help you with school-related costs at the...