Kia ora Caring Families Aotearoa Canterbury!

What a great start to my CFA journey, I cannot quite believe it is December, and we are on the home stretch to Christmas and summer holidays. It was great to be able to partner up with Voyce to provide the Whānau Festive Fun Day in Rangiora and I look forward to the next one coming up on Friday 6th December at The Groynes. A big Thank you to our friends at Promotional Development Services for organising the Pool Family Fun Days. Unfortunately, Canterbury did not put on the best weather for you but from the members who attended, it sounds like the tamariki had fun and plenty of kai was enjoyed! Thank you for making the effort to come to these events, it is always great to see caregivers and Tamariki connecting.

Thank you for making me feel so welcome as I have settled into my role with CFA, it has been a privilege to meet some of you at the support groups, training and chatting over the phone. I am in awe of the mahi, dedication and love you provide Tamariki in your homes. Please take a moment this Christmas to celebrate and recognise the gift you provide your children by healing them in your homes. I look forward to continuing working alongside you and meeting more of you at our training and events in 2025!

I am fortunate to be enjoying a holiday break with my whānau with my last day in the office being Friday 20th December and returning Tuesday 21st January.

Please note that our National Office will also be closed from Friday 20th of December and reopen on Monday 13th January. If you experience an urgent matter during this time involving allegations, please call 0800 693 278.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and hopefully a sunny summer break!

Training

Apart from our online Helping Children Feel Safe training on 2nd & 3rd December, our training schedule for 2024 has now concluded. In 2024 we had 750 participate in training, some participants told us; 

“This course particularly invaluable for preparation/ put in the ground work to build into teenage years.”

“I have done a lot of courses. Surprised that I still learnt a lot. Very helpful.”

We will release the 2025 Training Calendar in the middle of December, and we also can’t wait to be able to tell you about some new self-directed online trainings we have been working on. They will be available in Term 2 next year.

If you have never attended an online workshop and are worried about the technical side, you can call our national office in the new year, and we will run through the “how to Teams” with us. This will save you a lot of time and stress before the actual workshop.

SUPPORT

Canterbury has a variety of support/coffee groups that are always keen to welcome new caregivers. If you would like to connect with a group or haven’t attended for a while, make sure to check our Canterbury Facebook page or contact me supportsouth@caringfamilies.org.nz for more information. These groups are a great way to engage with others in your community who are on their caregiving journey!

Are you a male caregiver? Or, if you are reading this and have a man in your life who could do with some support, the Canterbury Men’s Group welcome members to become a part of this support group. I’ve been told if you like good food, good beer and banter, then come join Greg and the men who will be meeting up in the coming months, date to be confirmed. Please feel welcome to contact Greg directly for more details- gregcurtis66@gmail.com or keep an eye on our Facebook page.

North Canterbury Caregivers Catch Up

Thursday 5th December for a shared lunch, please bring a plate. New members and children welcome!

Debbie’s Place- 3 Ferguson Ave, Waipara

Please contact Debbie for more information debbiecurtis1965@gmail.com

Ashburton Caregiver Catch Up

Community BBQ each Friday night

5pm at Friedlander Park (Oxford Street)

Runs all through spring/summer, the children have a lot of fun & some real connections are built …all are welcome & the group would love to see you there! Any questions please feel welcome to connect with Jarrod jarrodnoelclaydon@yahoo.co.nz

Christchurch West Caregiver Support Group

Meets the first Tuesday of each month. Next meeting: Tuesday 3rd December.

Please bring a plate to share for a festive morning tea. Welcome to stay on for lunch, children are welcome. We would love people to come and celebrate Christmas with us! Please RSVP to Bonny bonbazstephens@gmail.com or Sytske sytskenz@gmail.com

Eastside Whānau & Foster Care Support Group

Come join our Christmas catchup at the Garden Restaurant, Marshlands Rd for dinner.

14th December- Time TBC

For more information and to RSVP, please contact Pauline- denis.pauline@xtra.co.nz