Stephanie James-Sadler

National Support Manager

0800 693 323

We are excited to let you all know we are changing how we support caregivers in the South Island.  As you are aware we have struggled to retain Regional Coordinators in both Canterbury and the Lower South regions.  During this time, you have all been very patient and understanding.

We will be centralising the support for the Canterbury and Lower South regions of the country. We will have two Regional Coordinators to cover this combined region, and we’re hoping it will forge a stronger, tighter-knit community for our South Island caregivers. They will be based in Christchurch and regularly travelling throughout the region for training and events.

Jared has started in this role and some of you will have met him at the Invercargill and Dunedin Family Fun Day events.  We hope to have our second Regional Coordinator starting early next year.

I am super excited to be the Regional Coordinator for Canterbury and the Lower South. I am very passionate about supporting, advocating for, and training caregivers. I am also a caregiver of four beautiful tamariki under the age of seven, and prior to joining Caring Families Aotearoa, I was nominated for the Excellence in Foster Care Awards, which are held this December.

In my spare time, I also study child and family psychology and serve as chair of two school boards of trustees. I love meeting new people and had the pleasure of meeting some of you at the Family Fun Days last week. We have amazing caregivers in our region and I look forward to working alongside you.

He waka eke Noa (We are all in this together)

From our whānau to yours

SURVIVING THE HOLIDAYS

The holidays can take an emotional toll on all of us, but our children in care may feel an increase sense of grief, stress, or anxiety.  They may pull away or withdraw over the holiday season, even if you are doing everything you can do positively.  Remember, this may not be a reflection of your ability as a Caregiver.  Schedule some downtime throughout the holiday season, and give your child, yourself and your entire family, time to relax and recharge.

Understandable Behavioural Reactions to Christmas and the holiday time:

Be prepared for the sadness and grief.  Reflect on what’s potentially behind their behaviour (empathetic), be curious and name some feelings you’re seeing in them, and accept that their feelings are valid to them.

Give your tamariki time and space to grieve. Grief takes many forms and may be exhibited in lots of ways, including:

• Reverting back to younger behaviours developmentally
• Soiling themselves or bedwetting
• Becoming withdrawn and isolated
• Having temper tantrums
• Being rebellious
• Complaining more than usual
• Needing to be extra busy to avoid feeling

Try to remember the developmental age of the children in your care. It will also help you to stay patient if you keep in mind the challenges of the season for your child before you react.

Expressions of gratitude don’t often come readily from children and young people in our care. Not because they aren’t grateful, but more often because they are in survival mode, especially during the holidays.

I saw this reflection below on one of the Caregiver FB pages I’m linked into and really liked it.  It’s a good read.  Reflect on it as you walk in this knowledge over the Christmas and New Year period.

Thanks for the amazing, selflessness you’ve shown this year to keep you, all those attached to your family and whānau doing the best that you all can.

Meri Kirihimete,

Jared