April 2024 Lower North Caregiver News

Tēnā koutou katoa,

It has been a great month of fun, interaction, and connection. To all those who attended our Foster Care Awareness Week events within the Lower North, I thank you for your participation, and to those who couldn’t, I look forward to connecting with you over the remainder of the year.

I want to remind you all that your work as caregivers is truly appreciated. Huge congratulations to our Excellence in Foster Care Award recipients. As Lower North caregivers, my husband and I were able to attend the event, and it was an honour to see recipients receive their awards.

A self-care reminder…

A message I must share that I have learnt over these past couple of months is the importance of self-care. When we take time to focus on ourselves, we are refreshed and revived to continue our care journey. But that’s easier said than done; the challenges caregivers face – such as no respite care, or a child with high needs, and so on interfere with our ability to take time for ourselves, resulting in tiredness and stress. When we are in that stressed frame of mind, we tend to have a short temper and find ourselves reacting to situations that we wouldn’t normally react to. So how do you “take time for yourself” when you may not have time for yourself?

One tip I picked up on was preparing an activity for your child/ren that could last a good hour or so, once they begin that activity you can then take that time to read a book, or put on a face mask, or work on that project you’ve been wanting to work on. Or instead of being indoors on your lunch break, think of going for a walk during this time – being active improves our quality of life and encourages us to keep moving. Connecting with our support groups, training, and events are also wonderful ways to connect with other caregivers while simultaneously taking time for your mental health and well-being.

My encouragement to you all is to just start, (no matter how small it might seem), and make that one activity a priority in your weekly or monthly schedule. Over time you will see the change and the improvement to your overall well-being. At the end of the day, we do this to care for our children, so let’s show them we care by caring for ourselves too.

A quick reminder, school holidays will start Saturday 13th April and end Sunday 29th April. It is a good time to think about holiday programs, contact your caregiver social worker or PCSS for financial support.

Training

With the April school holidays coming up we have a reduced number of training workshops available at the moment, but our term two schedule is due to go live during the holidays, so check the link below to see what will be coming up in Lower North.

SUPPORT

As your Regional Coordinator I am available from Monday to Friday 9.00am – 5.00pm. You can call or text me on 0275010394 or email me at lowernorth@caringfamilies.org.nz. I provide support and advocacy for caregivers in need so if you want to talk or are looking for advice, feel free to contact me. I am also available at our National Office in Lower Hutt for face-to-face appointments should you like to meet. Please contact me to arrange an appointment.

You can also become a member of our closed (private) members only Facebook page, to request to join the group, CLICK HERE.

SUPPORT groups

Wellington Foster Care Association

• Wednesday 10th April,  10.00am at Columbus Cafe at Mitre 10 Mega, Bouverie Street, Petone
• Join us for morning tea, we will happily pay for your drink and something to eat from the cabinet.
• RSVP by Monday 8th April to Tori 027 425 4709

Levin PACE Support Group

• Wednesday 17th April, 10.00am at the Age Concern Building 526 Queen Street East, Levin
• Join us for a time of caregiver connection and discussion.
• RSVP to Greg Cvitanovic on 021 293 7028

Kapiti Foster Care Association

• Wednesday 10th April, 10am at Hey Coastie. 42 Tutere Street, Waikanae Beach
• Join us for coffee and caregiver connection. We will be paying for one hot drink of your choice.
• RSVP to Rebecca Beedell on 0220103406

Wairarapa Foster Caregiver Support Group

• Saturday 6th April, 3pm, at The Reformed Church, 37 Herbert Street, Masterton
• Free Parking available behind the church. Join us for afternoon tea and caregiver connection. We have booked out the playground and playroom for children, so they are more than welcome to come. Refreshments will be provided.
• RSVP to Claire Stevens on 0223102393