Kia ora koutou Lower South Caregivers!

“Excuse me?”…”What!”….”Are you sure?” it’s April and nearly Easter. We don’t know about you, but this year is going crazy fast, and we have heaps more exciting things happening, so make sure you keep on reading to find out more.

Hey, how did you find Term 1? We can’t speak for how it went for you, but Jared shared that he’s found it challenging.  His son had to adjust to a new school, and you all know how that can go… Jared has been feeling down because his son, (who because of changes they’ve made, is happy and mostly regulated at home) is struggling at school. 

There’s a lot to digest when your tamariki (children) /rangatahi (young person) has experienced developmental trauma. So, to refresh the situation in his own perspective, Jared attended our Ako Ngātahi – Helping Children with Relationships module.  He picked up some useful reminders and hints for bridging the gap between home and school to help his tamariki feel safe and secure, while also giving his boy the tools to begin to build relationships.

Here’s some other information about setting up school to be that safe space for our tamariki and young people:

• School staff must have enough information to properly accommodate the student. Ensuring that they realise that the child’s difficulties with relationships stem from the child’s history of developmental trauma and loss.  It’s a balancing act as sometimes our kids don’t want to be seen as ‘different’, so make sure they, the tamariki, will be made to feel safe.  Share this information with certain staff members you trust and together make a plan for letting other staff know, so in the end it’s positive for your child.
• Help staff recognise developmental challenges that may impede learning and social interactions.
• If a teacher is aware of the student’s home life, they can take precautions to avoid discussing sensitive topics that might bring up painful memories.
• If a child has difficulty adjusting to new situations like changes to the timetable, let the school/teacher know this.
• Communicating once a week will provide clarity and open communication.

So if Term 1 was also a struggle for your family situation, set yourself up for success for Term 2 and start building the relationship with your school, remember it takes time. Slow steps at a time. Contact us if you want more information or to chat.

FOSTER CARE AWARENESS WEEK

What an incredible Foster Care Awareness Week! It was great to see lots of you there.  While the activities were fantastic, nothing beats sitting back and listening to our communities laughter and stories.

A special thanks to our Regional Committee for assisting us in organising our events; you are truly all amazing women, and we appreciate your support. Also, a big thank you to all the businesses that donated to our events; everyone who donated was so generous and wanted to show their support to you as Lower South Caregivers; in fact, a few businesses had themselves been involved in caregiving in some way. Please show them your love and support as well. Here’s a list of who gave to support our events:

Also, a massive thank you to Oranga Tamariki Invercargill, who took Jared around to meet new Caregivers during Foster Care Awareness Week. It was such a pleasure to get to know Dawn (Caregiver Social Worker) and meet her wonderful caregivers.

Support

Sometimes just having someone on the other end of the phone to talk to is all we need. It is our goal to ensure that you do not care in isolation. So please feel free to contact – Jared on 027 501 0392, or Caroline on 027 501 0005.

We also have some amazing support groups in the Lower South, this is a great space to connect with other caregivers, share your stories and create a supportive community. If you would like to join a support group please contact the liaisons, via email.

NEW – Dunedin Support Group

Group contact: Andrea

Next Meeting: 09th May, 10am-12pm at Topiary Cafe

If you could rsvp email: faulksfamily@xtra.co.nz we look forward to seeing you.

Central Otago Support Group

Group Contact: Tracey

Next Meeting: 12th May, 1.30pm-2.30pm at Community House, Alexandra

If you could rsvp email: thecanningclan@gmail.com, we look forward to seeing you.

Southland Coffee & Cake

Group Contact: Rose

Next Meeting: 03rd May, 12pm-2pm at Buster Crabb

If you could rsvp email: jeffnroserhind@gmail.com, we look forward to seeing you.

We are looking for support group liaisons in Ashburton, Timaru, and Oamaru! If you are interested, please email Caroline at supportsouth@caringfamilies.org.nz

Also don’t forget our Facebook group, another great way to connect with other members. Click the button below if you would like to join our private caregiver only Facebook group.

OFFICE HOURS:

Ours days of work are MONDAY – FRIDAY 8.00am-5.00pm.  We may be away in the regions for training and support, but we hope for most of the time to have one of us in the office so please ring/text us if you wish to pop in.

training and learning opportunity

Jared is thrilled to announce that he will be conducting a Training Roadshow in Term 2. This is an excellent opportunity to learn, connect and form a community with other caregivers.

Our Training Calendar will go live in early April, and we will notify you via email and our Facebook page. Contact Dagmar on 0800 693 323 – our Training Coordinator.  She can help you with any questions and even register you for training if you’re having trouble.

Wednesday 10th May 2023 – Dunedin

• Course: Difficult Behaviours
• Location: AYU Community Space, Ground Floor, 7 Crawford Street, Dunedin
• Time: 5.30pm – 9.00pm (Dinner Included)

Thursday 11th May 2023 – Invercargill

• Course: Difficult Behaviours
• Location: Invercargill Public Library, 50 Dee Street, Invercargill Southland
• Time: 5.30pm – 9.00pm (Dinner Included)

Friday 12th May 2023 – Alexandra

• Course: What’s behind the behaviour?
• Location: Community House, 14 – 20 Centennial Avenue, Alexandra
• Time: 9.15am– 1.15pm

Events

We are busy planning our Whānau day in July and also our Regional Hui which is scheduled later this year in October, so watch this space!

Tiaki i a koutou anō, look after yourselves!  

Jared & Caroline