Government and non-government organisations with a common interest in child protection gathered in front of Bi-Lo on Thursday to raise awareness of the need for everyone to be united in the safekeeping of the most vulnerable sector of the community.
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Leah Hall and Wendy Hardman – caseworkers of Foundations Care, an Armidale-based government-funded organisation that manages foster care– were on hand to promote Child Protection Week and encourage local residents to consider opening their homes to foster care.
Ms Hall explained there is a great degree of flexibility when fostering children and young people. Care arrangements include long-term care, respite weekends, emergency care or short term care.
Foundations Care encourage applicants from all walks of life. Children and young people in need of a placement are matched with an appropriate family or carer.
Ms Hall said where a child is placed is determined by his or her unique set of circumstances. Sometimes due to risk it’s preferable to move a child away from their home town, while in other cases ideally the child would continue to attend their own school. Foundations Care also always strives for culturally-appropriate placements, so a wide variety of placement options are needed.
A two-day Shared Stories, Shared Lives workshop is provided to those interested in learning more about the foster care role, with a free workshop in Glen Innes to be organised in the coming months.
Workshops are held regularly throughout the New England region. They focus on providing information about the caring role as well as equipping carers with the skills to meet situations they may encounter.
“It’s a great opportunity for anyone unsure of whether they can commit to becoming a foster carer. There is no obligations, they can see what’s involved and can opt out if they decide it’s not for them,” Ms Hall said.
There are currently several foster care providers in Glen Innes, but Ms Hall would like to see many more.
“Ultimately most carers find the experience very fulfilling and there’s always support available,” she said.
“Caseworkers liaise with schools, support services, attend home visits and are always on hand to help.”
Ms Hall said the Foundations Care motto is ‘We give but never give up’, and this is evident throughout the work that is done.
Anyone interested in investigating the possibility of becoming a foster carer should contact Foundations Care on 6707 1000 or www.foundcarekids.org.au for more information.
EACH’s Indigenous Community Link coordinator Mark Geach was also on hand to remind locals that the EACH office in Grey St is a port of call for anyone needing help with accessing community services, throughout the Tenterfield, Guyra and Glen Innes areas.
Local Rotary Club members dished out the free barbecue lunch, courtesy of Bi-Lo, and the promotion attracted considerable attention in acknowledging Child Protection Week.
The NSW Police Force’s Child Abuse Squad’ acting commander Peter Yeomans urged community members to contact police if they are concerned about the safety of any children in NSW.
“It’s absolutely vital that members of the public play their part in helping us and other government agencies protect our kids. If you have any concerns about a child in your community, please contact Crime Stoppers or the Child Protection Helpline,” Detective Acting Superintendent Yeomans said.
