Kia ora

As we move into April and adjust to the shorter days and cooler weather, it’s time for Caring Families Aotearoa to take stock and reflect on the eventful month of March.

What a busy month it has been! March is one of my favourite times of year as we work hard as a team to celebrate the work you do; ensure you feel appreciated and take every opportunity to promote caregiving in the public forum.

The Excellence in Foster Care Awards were a resounding success. There were 10 awards for 15 recipients (including couples) this year, all honoured for their outstanding dedication to foster children and the caregiving community. Their exceptional commitment and compassion truly deserved this recognition – and allowed us a platform to also highlight New Zealand caregivers generally.

I hope you all managed to set some time aside over Foster Care Awareness week to put your feet up or attend one of our caregiver appreciation events. Read on in Snippets for coverage of the various get-togethers hosted by some of our Regional Coordinators, supported by their awesome Regional Committees.

I am delighted to announce that in Term Two we will launch our much-anticipated new self-directed learning platform. This has been developed in response to feedback from you about making training more accessible for everyone to take part in. To find out more about the first two courses we are releasing, you can click here.

I hope you all enjoy a wonderful break over the Easter holidays and find something fun to do together. Don’t forget to turn your clocks back on Sunday!

Noho ora mai (Stay well, look after yourselves, goodbye),