Kia ora koutou,

I trust this Snippets finds each of you in good health. Connecting with everyone in the Lower South region over the past few months has been truly uplifting. A heartfelt thank you to those who joined us for the Whānau Movie Morning in collaboration with VOYCE, the SOCIAL SERVICES WĀNANGA, and the Oranga Tamariki Dunedin Matariki Morning Tea.

With spring on the horizon, I’m excited to share that the upcoming months are brimming with activity. Stay tuned for what’s in store!

I recently got married and the wedding was lovely and full of memories, but the conversation with my daughter afterwards will always be special.  Following the ceremony, I hugged her, and she said, “Daddy, look at our large whānau, they are all here for us.” My family from Australia, my husbands from the North Island, the children’s previous caregivers, and the children’s birth family were among the guests standing. After years of building a relationship with the children’s birth family and our new care family, I realised that watching us all in the room meant everything to them. Our most difficult challenge has been navigating the dynamics between birth families and the children in our care, but I want to emphasise the importance of truly understanding and nurturing the connection between the child and their birth family. This connection is vital to a child’s emotional and mental health, and we’ve seen a huge change in their narrative of their birth family and their perception of their identity and belonging. Look as mentioned it wasn’t easy, but here are some therapeutic points to consider.

Acknowledge the Significance of Birth-Family Bonds:

Many children in care have faced trauma and separation from their birth families, leading to broken connections. It’s essential to help them maintain or rebuild these relationships, as they are a cornerstone of their identity and sense of belonging. This needs to be done at the pace of the child and child focused.

Value the Benefits of Sustaining Birth Family Ties:

Therapeutic research underscores that nurturing links with birth families contributes to positive long-term outcomes for children in care. This connection fosters a stable identity, a feeling of belonging, and positive emotional growth. It’s also associated with a decreased likelihood of mental health issues.

Facilitate and Foster Connections:

As a caregiver, we hold a pivotal role in helping the child maintain their bond with their birth family. By enabling communication and arranging visits, we create a supportive environment. Approach the birth family with respect to foster a positive atmosphere for the child.

Support Amid Challenges:

Sustaining a positive relationship with birth families can be demanding, especially when there’s tension. But even in complex situations, keeping a positive outlook and focusing on the child’s needs remains paramount. Remember, birth parents may have undergone traumatic experiences themselves.

Strategies for Strengthening Bonds:

Employ various strategies to strengthen these connections. Speak positively about the birth family when communicating with the child. Encourage correspondence through calls, letters, or video chats. Providing transportation for visits and initiating contact with the birth family, with agency approval, can be immensely beneficial.

Contributing to Holistic Development:

Our role as caregivers has a profound impact on a child’s life. Nurturing the relationship between the child and their birth family contributes to their stability and self-identity. Challenges may arise, but the effort you invest in fostering these connections is invaluable for the child’s well-being.

Therefore, the importance of birth-family relationships, understanding their benefits, and embracing your role as a caregiver in nurturing these connections can truly transform the child’s life. Prioritising a positive attitude, effective communication and collaboration creates a therapeutic and supportive space for both the child and their birth family. This exemplifies the essential nature of your caregiving role in their journey toward healing and growth.

A word from Caroline:

Kia ora beautiful people from Lower South,

I hope you all stay warm and cozy in the last of these winter days. Spring is soon to arrive. Moving forward, I will be focusing on working and connecting fully in the Canterbury-wide region. So, I will leave you in the very capable hands of Jared. He will oversee all the Lower South area from now on.

It is awesome to see what a wonderful caregiving community is out there.

Bis ganz bald (German for: I look forward to seeing you wonderful caregivers sometime in the future)

Caroline

training and learning opportunity

As requested, I’m offering online facilitated training specifically for you, our Lower South Island caregivers: register or ring me to come and be a part of this learning and sharing opportunity.

Difficult Behaviours – Managing Confrontation and Intimidating Interactions

Session 1: 7 September 2023, 12:30pm-2:00pm;

Session 2: 8 September 2023, 12:30pm-2:00pm

To find out more and register, CLICK HERE.

Don’t forget about our other online training we have across the motu (country). Click the button below to explore.

Events

We are planning our Regional Hui in October which will be hosted in Dunedin, I am super excited to share this with you all, as we have some amazing guest speakers and activities, so keep an eye out for those details being released soon!

Support

We have some wonderful community connections within the Lower South, please find below our Groups contact details.  I am currently looking for Support Group Liaisons in Gore and Queenstown, please email me at southsupport@caringfamilies.org.nz

Dunedin Support Group

• Group contact: Andrea
• Next Meeting: 07th September at 10am, Location TBC.
• RSVP: faulksfamily@xtra.co.nz

Central Otago Support Group

• Group Contact: Tracey
• Next Meeting: Virtual Meeting – 19th September – 7pm-8.30pm
• RSVP: thecanningclan@gmail.com

Southland Coffee & Cake

• Group Contact: Rose
• Next Meeting: Schedule after the school holidays.
• RSVP: email jeffnroserhind@gmail.com and I will let you know when the next support meeting will be 😊

We have a closed Facebook group for our wonderful Lower South Caregiver Members to keep updated and connect with each other virtually, click below to join!

Tiaki i a koutou anō, look after yourselves!  

Jared