CEO Message December 2024Kia ora As the holiday season approaches, I wanted to take a moment to wish you a wonderful Christmas and a safe, happy and healthy New Year. Whether you’re planning a family gathering or a trip away for a change of scene, I hope you find some...
The Christmas ConundrumChristmas can be confronting. Triggering, as well as joyful. Testing and exhausting, but heart-warming too. The business of Christmas has a habit of invading our senses, pulling up a comfy chair and settling in from the beginning of November...
December Self-CareWhat are you doing this busy season to look after yourself? Here are some simple ideas, that don’t take up too much time, but can make all the difference to your wellbeing when the days become frantic! 🎄Buy yourself a Christmas gift. 🎄Indulge in a...
Face Your Future 2023From 27-28 September 2023, we held a fantastic Face your Future event in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland). It was a busy, but fun two days for rangatahi in care, hosted by our corporate partner L’Oréal with support from VOYCE Whakarongo Mai and Caring...
CEO Message November 2024Kia ora It is hard to believe we’ve arrived at November and Christmas is just over seven weeks away! We have had some lovely warm weather lately, a real taste of summer and the long, lazy days to come. I hope you all enjoyed Labour weekend and...
CEO Message October 2024Kia ora I am writing this column on my return from Ōtautahi Christchurch after a very busy, but hugely successful Caring Families Aotearoa national conference. We hosted over 160 caregivers and professionals over two days, creating...
CEO Message September 2024Kia ora Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads who are raising their children with love, patience and a good dose of fun. You’re doing such an important job - we all need fathers and father figures in our lives and what you say and do will mean...
CEO Message August 2024Kia ora I’m sure many of you tuned in last week to the news coverage of Whanaketia, the Abuse in Care report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry. The report was absolutely harrowing, and I sincerely hope it provides a real catalyst for change...
CEO Message July 2024Kia ora With the rising of Matariki signifying the beginning of the Māori New Year, now is a wonderful time to reflect on your health and wellbeing, plan for the future, and share memories of those who have passed. I hope you all managed to pause...
Update from the OmbudsmanThe name doesn’t really roll off your tongue, we know. But the Ombudsman can be a valuable resource for caregivers and the children in your care. What does the Ombudsman do? Peter Boshier is New Zealand’s Chief Ombudsman. His main role is to...
Using PACE with my Children"If only I had known about this sooner!" is a common phrase I hear from caregivers who have taken our training, and one I find myself saying a lot lately. When there’s moody behaviour, disrespect and meltdowns in my whare (home), I’m...
MEMBERSHIP SURVEY RESULTS 2024 Our annual membership survey was completed by over 1,000 of you. Thank you! Your responses help us understand what is important to you and help shape the decisions we make when evaluating our support, training, events, and day-to-day...
CEO Message June 2024Kia ora It feels like we say this every year, but it’s hard to believe we have already arrived at the beginning of Winter – the months feel like they’re flying by! Time to bring the winter woollies out of hibernation. I hope you all enjoyed a...
CEO Message May 2024Kia ora, We received a fantastic response to our caregiver survey last month, and I would like to personally thank every one of you who shared your feedback with us. Gaining insight from you, our caregivers, is truly invaluable when it comes to...
Mind-mindedness: The Key to Connecting and Building Trust with Your ChildChildren who have experienced trauma in their early lives need to feel connected. Connection is the foundation upon which we can build a loving and secure relationship that will help heal our...
CEO Message April 2024Kia ora, This edition of snippets will be arriving to you at the end of the Easter long weekend. Whether you went away for the weekend or stayed at home, I hope you’ve enjoyed the extra few days off and treated yourself to a hot cross bun and...
CEO Message March 2024Kia ora, March is a very special month for our organisation with one of our biggest events of the year, Foster Care Awareness Week, happening from Monday 4th – Sunday 10th March. We hope that as caregivers you always feel appreciated for the mahi...
CEO Message February 2024Kia ora koutou, Welcome to 2024! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Year with whānau and managed to enjoy some time outside in the sun. I trust the back-to-school transition went as smoothly as possible, and for those of you who are...
Kia ora koutou, Well, here we are again at the end of another year! With Christmas just a few short weeks away, it’s easy to start feeling overwhelmed by our busy lives – finishing up at work for the year, school prizegivings, family gatherings to organise, and of...
Vikki's StoryA TERRIBLE SITUATION – TWO T-SHIRTS and A TIN OF TUNA Sometimes we have caregiver stories shared with our team that remind us of the vital difference that our support and training can make to caregivers who have been ‘thrown in the deep end.’ Caregivers...