Get Involved
By investing in the FCAV, you are investing in the support, wellbeing and advocacy for thousands of carers providing a heart and home to children in care in Victoria. You help us provide better outcomes for children and young people in care by supporting their carer households. Foster carers not only provide for day-to-day, social and emotional wellbeing, they facilitate children's access to health, therapy, culture, education and social needs. FCAV is there to provide the support, information and advocacy carers often need on behalf of the children and young people in their care, to be able to navigate access to these vital services in a complex system. Together we can directly impact the quality of life for children in care now, and into the future. No donation is too small and will contribute to providing foster carers with the support and tools needed to transform a child’s life.
Examples
- The Carer Assistance Program at FCAV was developed in response to FCAV's acknowledgement of carers' increased stress and complex needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. FCAV was able to develop and pilot the program through generous seed funding from a large donor. This Program is now a core offering, providing vital and exemplary therapeutic support to carers' in their role.
- The FCAV's Carer Retreats, Cultural days and Conference scholarships were developed through funds raised by generous donations from the community. The FCAV has long held a mandate to be able to offer statewide, independent opportunities for carer peer to peer support, to meet and share experiences and focus on self-care. The Caring for Carers program pilot was funded through a Caring for Carers campaign for community donations which paid for 11 carers to experience an all expenses paid, 3 day retreat back in 2019.
- Donations of goods, services and gifts. The donation of goods and services, tickets to events and other donated opportunities facilitated through the FCAV are invaluable gifts to carer households. These gifts and donations serve to demonstrate the value in our community that carers hold, as well as supporting them materially to provide a fun day out or a new toy for the children in their care. Carers often go without in order to provide for the children in their care, so a bottle of lotion or a day at the theatre is welcome respite.
Why do we need your help?
The FCAV receives limited funding from the Victorian Government. This funding does not cover the provision of all FCAV services and we gratefully rely on donations, grants and other philanthropy to meet costs, offer our range of services to carers, and, to continue to innovate and grow our support offerings in line with carer's needs.
As a not for profit organisation, the FCAV cuts above its weight in terms of the impact we are able to make on the households supporting children in care because we target all our services and supports where our membership of carers tell us they need it most. Your generous donations are vital to providing these services to foster carers. Thankyou for your interest in the FCAV and the difference your donation can make to carers and the children and young people in their care across Victoria.
