December 2024 Lower North Caregiver News
Meri Kirihimete e te whānau o Caring Families Aotearoa,
I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I can only thank you for all the wonderful support and love that you provide to all your children this time of year. I am privileged to be a part of your journey, and I have been blessed to know you and share in your experience as caregivers. In the two years that I have been in the role, I have learnt so much from you all and I look forward to joining you again for another year with Caring Families Aotearoa.
We have had some informative posts on our website to help you overcome challenges over the Christmas holidays. I recommend that while we are on break to refer to our resources especially around PACE to help you during this season. You can find out more here.
Our national office will be closed from the 20th of December 2024 and will resume work on the 13th of January 2025. If you experience an urgent matter during this time involving allegations, please call 0800 693 278.
I will be returning to work on the 13th of January 2025 with my normal working hours, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
I would like to end this year with this final quote, “”What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future.” -Agnes M. Pahro.
Kia pai mai i roto i ngā manaakitanga katoa / May all blessings be yours.
Events
Wellington Only! Get your FREE Magic Show tickets now!
Proudly hosted by The Lions Club, The “World Festival of Magic” has been touring New Zealand for over 30 years with its fun family-oriented show.
The World Festival of Magic is coming to Wellington this December, and Caring Families Aotearoa has limited tickets remaining for our deserving caregiver members and tamariki.
We have limited tickets available for Saturday 7 December for each show time: 1pm and 4pm. These will be distributed on a first in first served basis, so get in quick!
Please visit our regional events page below for more information and to grab your tickets.
Family Fun Days
I want to send a big thank you to all our members and their families who attended our family fun days this year.
I want to say a huge thank you to the Surtees Whanau who attended the Family Fun Days in representation of Caring Families Aotearoa.
I had so much fun meeting with members and their families in the Lower North, it’s always a pleasure to see the smiles on everyone’s faces.
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
Wellington Foster Care and Family Association
Join us as we celebrate the end of year with a B.Y.O. family picnic at Avalon Park.
13 December, 5:30pm onwards
Meet at the Pavilion
Bring your own dinner and drinks
RSVP Tori 027 425 4709
Remember we have our closed (private) members only Facebook page, which can offer support to you. To request to join the group, CLICK HERE.
We have also started a Caring Families Aotearoa Caregivers who are Social Workers Private Facebook Group. We created this to be an online forum for any caregiver members, who also work as a social worker with Oranga Tamariki or another support agency, and who would like to connect with other caregivers for peer support. If this might be you, please look for the following Facebook page – Caring Families Aotearoa Caregivers who are Social Workers | Facebook.