Kia ora e te whānau, 

Wow! How have we arrived at March already? How are you doing? I hope the start of the school year has gone as smoothly as it could for you, your tamariki and rangatahi.  It can be an anxious time adjusting back into school routines and reconnecting with classmates and teachers, especially for so many young people in Tāmaki Makaurau who have not been in a classroom since mid-August 2021. Give yourself a pat on the back for getting through it in one piece! 

We are really enjoying being able to share with you our latest training “Making Changes- Stability in Hard Times”. This training gives space for you to learn more about yourself and explore ways you can use this understanding to create a calm, settled home environment, centered around relationship with your tamariki and rangatahi. Click here for more information or to register.

The omicron situation is definitely keeping us on our toes. Unfortunately, due to the increase in positive Covid-19 cases, we have needed to postpone our in-person events for Foster Care Awareness Week (7-13 March). However, Caring Families Aotearoa are excited to offer two virtual events on Wednesday the 9th of March. Come and join in from the comfort of your home (11am or 8pm). We have an international speaker, Sarah Naish (UK), providing a bespoke presentation for our Caregivers in Aotearoa! Some of you may recognise Sarah from videos we have used in previous trainings, (have a google of her YouTube recordings). I know that you will be in for an entertaining hour. Sarah has lived experience as a foster & adoptive mum and has a unique and entertaining way of sharing her journey. She has a wealth of knowledge about trauma and therapeutic parenting. I hope you can join us for either of the times available.  Click here to register.

I was excited to see that FASD-CAN have released their new website; if you are not already aware of them, this organisation provides some fantastic resources for parents/caregivers of children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). They are a great starting point if you are unsure of where to begin in the journey of supporting your young person with FASD. You can find out more at https://www.fasd-can.org.nz/ 

Tiaki i a koutou anō, look after yourselves! 

Christie