December 2024 Auckland South Caregiver News

Meri Kirihimete e te whānau o Caring Families Aotearoa,

As we come to a close on 2024, I hope you and those that hold your heart have plans to share some time together over the summer. I will be making the most of the sunshine and spending as much time as I can with my grand daughters when they arrive in Aotearoa.

Our National Office will be closed from Friday 20th of December and reopen on Monday 13th January. If you experience an urgent matter during this time involving allegations, please call 0800 693 278.

My last day of work for 2024 will be Thursday 19 December.  I will be returning on Monday 10 February refreshed and ready to go!  I look forward to connecting with you in the new year. 

Whatever you are doing over the summer I wish you happiness and joy.  Remember, the best thing you can give your children is YOUR TIME.

TRAINING

Apart from our online Helping Children Feel Safe training on 2nd & 3rd December, our training schedule for 2024 has now concluded. In 2024 we had 750 participate in training, some participants told us; 

“This course particularly invaluable for preparation/ put in the ground work to build into teenage years.”

“I have done a lot of courses. Surprised that I still learnt a lot. Very helpful.”

We will release the 2025 Training Calendar in the middle of December, and we also can’t wait to be able to tell you about some new self-directed online trainings we have been working on. They will be available in Term 2 next year.

If you have never attended an online workshop and are worried about the technical side, you can call our national office in the new year, and we will run through the “how to Teams” with us. This will save you a lot of time and stress before the actual workshop.

Events

Family Fun Days are in full swing around the country. The Manukau event at Massey Park Aquatic centre is fully booked. 

I hope those of you who booked tickets have a wonderful family fun day out.

Support

Hamilton Support Group 

Haere Mai, nau mai! Are you in/near Hamilton? Want to chat with some like-minded caregivers who will lift you up?

Are you free the first Wednesday of the month from 10am? Want a free coffee?

If you have answered “YES” to these questions and want to join an understanding group that knows just what being a Foster Caregiver IS – then come along!

On the first Wednesday of the month (excluding school holidays), from 10am, Vanessa West hosts a small, but lively Support Group at Punnet Café in Tamahere.

It’s here in a no-judgement, supportive, environment where we all “get it”, we can share stories, and coffee, commiserating and celebrating the trials and tribulations of Foster Caregiving in the Waikato.

Vanessa is looking forward to welcoming new members, and catching up with existing group members on 6th December, at The Punnet Café, Tamahere from 10am. No bookings required, just rock on up and tell the super-helpful staff that you’re with Caring Families Aotearoa, and they’ll point you in the right direction.

Kia pai mai i roto i ngā manaakitanga katoa / May all blessings be yours

Nyvonne