Bay of Plenty Foster Care AssociationThe Bay of Plenty Foster Care Association came to a close at their final AGM last month. We want to say thank you to all who were involved in the association over the 15 years it was running. Along with monthly organised support...
From left to right: Ebony Fleming, Hon. Poto Williams and Tahirah Morton. Te Mātātaki 2021 There were many positive results in the survey that show caregivers are making a difference for the children in their care. Many tamariki and rangatahi in care feel settled,...
Face Your Future 2021On the 21st of April 41 rangatahi made their way to the L’Oréal NZ Academy in Auckland to attend Face Your Future 2021. Some of the teenagers from outside of Auckland had their first plane trip and for many, it was their first time staying in a...
Keeping Yourself Safe - All About Me PlanOne of the most important things you can do as a caregiver to keep yourself safe is to have an updated 'All About Me Plan' filled out for the children in your care.The All About Me Plan will tell you all about te tamaiti in...
Supporting the Journey to Adulthood: A Service Design with Rangatahi for RangatahiThe Transition Support Service has been designed with rangatahi and the community to support the 600 rangatahi who leave Oranga Tamariki care each year as they journey to adulthood. The...
Introducing the team at Caring Families AotearoaOur team of 27 will be featured in snippets over the next few months so you can see read about the team and what mahi they do at Caring Families Aotearoa. Suzanne Silva Fundraising Manager Suzanne joined the team at...
Easter Craft ActivitiesEaster is here! Why not hop into the long weekend and get the tamariki doing fun craft activities during the long weekend? Here is a list of some fun ways to add some craft activities to your Easter:Easter Basket Colouring CompetitionSet up a...
Pizza for care whānauDuring Foster Care Awareness Week we celebrate the wonderful mahi of caregivers around Aotearoa. This year, with all the uncertainty around COVID-19, we decided to give caregivers a night off cooking and cooked up a deal with Domino's Pizza. All...
DO YOU NEED SUPPORT WITH FASD?Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a permanent injury to the brain which results from prenatal alcohol exposure. FASD is diverse, complex and individual, manifesting many different learning, health and social difficulties, often...
New Team Members at Caring Families AotearoaIn the last five months we have welcomed five new people to the Caring Families Aotearoa Team. Di Marshall Senior Administrator Di joined us in August 2020. Di has a Bachelor of Teaching in ECE and was an Early Childhood...
School and Year Start-up PaymentIf you are receiving the Unsupported Child’s Benefit (UCB) or the Orphans Benefit (OB) you are eligible to receive a School and Year Start-up Payment from Work and Income Te Hiranga Tangata. The School and Year Start-up Payment is to...
Remembering Billie GallowayIt is with great sadness that I write this message. Billie Galloway (Aunty Billie) passed away Saturday morning surrounded by friends and family. This has left a huge hole in our world, but the legacy she has left behind has made her one of...
Core Competence Standards Break-down In November we wrote about the amendments to the Social Workers Registration Act, which require all Social Workers to be registered from 27 February this year. This will give everyone greater assurance of Social Workers’...
Children's Glasses Subsidy Do any of the children in your care have problems with their vision? If your answer is yes, you may be eligible for the spectacle subsidy. The Children’s Spectacle Subsidy is for children who are 15 years old or under provided they have a...
Meri Kirihimete - Merry ChristmasAs Christmas draws closer, and the end of the year is in sight, I would like to take this moment to thank each and every one of you wonderful caregivers. This year hasn’t been an easy one. With the emotional, physical and financial...
Barbara's JourneyMany years ago, in a town far, far away (Invercargill), Barbara began her journey with The New Zealand Family and Foster Care Federation, now known as Caring Families Aotearoa. Barbara was first elected as the Lower South Caregiver's Representative on...
2020 Annual Report DownloadOn Friday 16 October, we held our 2020 Annual General Meeting in Lower Hutt. This year we also made the AGM available virtually and had members join us from all around Aotearoa. The AGM was opened by Hera Clarke (Poutaki Māori), followed by...
New Requirements for Social WorkersAmendments were made to the Social Workers Registration Act (passed by Parliament in early 2019). This Act will make it mandatory for anyone calling themselves a Social Worker, and practising in New Zealand, to be registered with the...
We are Learning TogetherIn October we presented our first Ako Ngātahi-Learning Together online discussion series. The first part of the series was on 'Shield Against Shame' which explored the behaviours traumatised tamariki develop to keep themselves safe. Both an...
Keen on making the most of the summer holidays? Caring Families Aotearoa and Ezibed.com have teamed up to bring you exclusive accommodation deals, for a limited time only! Summer is just around the corner and it’s time to get out and explore our beautiful backyard,...