December 2024 North West Caregiver News
Ebony Phillips
North West Regional Coordinator
M: 027 501 0394
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 one here.
F.Y.I. 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.
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 was particularly invaluable for preparation/putting 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.
EVENTS
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 Fleur Devlin and Nigel Christie who attended the Family Fun Days in representation of Caring Families Aotearoa.
I wished I could have been there to celebrate the end of year with you, but I am thankful that you all got to do something super special with each other and your families.
SUPPORT
Taranaki Caregiver Support Group
Taranaki Support Group will be joining GRG and Flourish Taranaki for their end of year Christmas Celebration!
Details:
Date: 6th of December.
Venue: Flourish, 12 Omata Road.
Time: 4–6pm
Surprise entertainment at 4:45pm
RSVP to secure your gift and burger to Jeanette 021 059 0954 by 4th December.