CaringLife App Launched

 The Foster Care Association of Victoria has endorsed the rolling out of CaringLife app for children in foster and residential care to ensure that their most treasured life memories are securely stored forever. CaringLife app (www.caringlife.com), which won the Minister’s Award for Innovation at the 2019 Victorian Protecting Children Awards, is the brain-child of Melbourne foster carers, Emma Stirling and Anthony Denahy. The pair realised that children in out-of-home care needed a way to privately and safely keep all their photos, videos and other important mementos from their time in care.

 Until now, children have been given their photos in a photo album or on a USB stick, which can be lost or damaged. Other important documents like artwork, sporting certificates and school reports can also easily be lost, particularly if children move between homes.

CaringLife has been developed in consultation with many of the leading organisations in the out-of-home care sector, including the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, the Foster Care Association of Victoria, CREATE Foundation, OzChild and the Australian Childhood Foundation. 

“We really wanted to create a fun and easy way for children and carers to be able to upload and share memories and documents, so that none of these moments could be lost if children were moved to another foster family or were able to return home,” said CaringLife co-founder, Anthony Denahy.

"CaringLife is a unique and much needed offering for children and young people in care and their carers. As a carer I have first-hand experience of how easy it is to lose precious memories with the children and young people in care. The app provides a secure and consistent place to store the memories, keepsakes and reports; the stories which build an identity for children. Carers will gain so much in being able to upload to the app to ensure the children they care for have those memories long-term, and in reviewing the backstory for children newly arrived to their care and having a better understanding of where they've been. The FCAV has been pleased to endorse the innovation of Emma and Anthony and thanks the DHHS and the Victorian Government for supporting this intiative." Sam Hauge, CEO, Foster Care Association of Victoria.