Kia ora e hoa mā, hi friends,
I am thinking of those who have been affected by the ongoing weather events, and I hope you are all doing okay. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. If you need caregiver support during this time, please contact your agency. If you do not have an agency, please call me (027 538 9691) or Caring Families Aotearoa (0800 693 323) for support.
Christie McGiven
Auckland Regional Coordinator
0800 693 323
or 027 538 9691
Good on you for making it through the school holidays, but I know the delay in school starting will be especially challenging and emotions may be running high in your whare. Just remember we are here to support you if you need it.
This time of year can feel really intense for adults and children alike. Whether it’s seen you braving the chaos of Warehouse Stationery for school supplies, sorting out uniforms for kids that don’t seem to stop growing, easing back into a school weekday routine or supporting anxious tamariki with their worries and feelings about returning to school and learning. It’s a big job to keep all these ‘balls’ in the air!
SUPPORT
Sometimes we just need another person to walk alongside us when challenging stuff happens; if you’re in need of information, support, or advocacy related to the kids in your care, feel free to reach out to me.
Balmoral Coffee Group
Starting up again on Thursday 9 February, 10am – 12pm at Balmoral McDonalds Party Room (192 Balmoral Road). This group will be held the second Thursday of each month and is for any caregiver wanting some ‘kids-free time’ to connect and chat with other caregivers, to share ideas and information that may help each other on their caregiving journey.
We are always interested in assisting members to connect and share together. If you feel you would like to start a support group in your area, please contact me to help you get a group up and running this year.
The Caring Families Aotearoa Auckland Support Closed Facebook Group is also a great way to connect with other caregivers in the Auckland area – if you are not yet part of this group and would like to join follow this link
My days of work are Monday – Thursday 9:00am- 5:00pm. At times I am out and about in our region for training and support so please text/ring me if you’d like to pop in, for a cuppa or a catch up: 027 538 9691. I’d love to see you.
Just a reminder there is still time to apply for the School and Year Start-up Payment (closes 28 February) and the Extraordinary Care Fund (the next round of applications closes 17 February). More information about each of these Work and Income NZ entitlements click on the following links – School and Year Start-up Payment – Work and Income and Extraordinary Care Fund – Work and Income.
TRAINING
There are a range of online trainings taking place this month; we are also introducing a new face-to-face workshop: Helping Children Feel Safe, starting in Onehunga on Tuesday 28 February. We will be thinking through the things that support children and young people’s sense of safety and calm, it’s going to be a good one!
Check out our training calendar below for more details and to register.
EVENTS
Foster Care Awareness Week is coming up next month. We will be holding the following events to celebrate our wonderful caregivers:
- Wednesday 8th March, 10AM-1:30PM – Pasifika Talanoa – a special gathering for our Pasifika caregiver members
- Thursday 9th March, 10AM-1PM – Appreciation Morning Tea
- Friday 10th March, 9:30AM-1PM – Caregiver Pamper Day
To find out more, click on the link below to our website and look for the Auckland Events. Information about the Pasifika Talanoa is in a seperate section on the page under it’s own heading. We look forward to catching up and celebrating with you next month!
Tiaki i a koutou anō, look after yourselves!
Christie