Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating Foster Care Week this year.
The theme for Foster Care Week 2021 was Adaptability…. caring through covid.
We hope carers enjoyed virtual events and took a moment to reflect on their achievements caring through covid.
Foster Care Week highlights:
Our FCW Calendar of events was full of various virtual events to celebrate carers – see here
Many agencies reported postponing events until lockdowns were lifted stating online zoom fatigue and wanting to celebrate and meet again face to face, particularly those whose plans did not suit online formats.
The events we shared as a part of the week included:
Bingo Nights
Appreciation Lunches
Becoming a foster carer session
Virtual game nights
Story times for children
There was great Sector wide engagement and acknowledgement of Foster Care Week, including news articles, TV feature stories and social media posts:
Samantha Hauge had a great conversation with Dee Dee and some foster carers on 3AW Afternoons with Dee Dee today to discuss issues facing carers and highlight the value of their role in the lives of children and young people - view here
Care Strain - ABC News - watch here
Anglicare CEO Paul McDonald speaks of the need for more foster carers on The Drum - watch here
Frazer spoke to News Breakfast about the positive impact his care experience had on his life, taking him out of homelessness and into a loving home. He urges anyone to give this a try. - watch here
How Kyle's foster parents helped him through cancer treatment and recovery - read here
Luke Sapwell (Board) on his foster carer - read here
A special thank you to everyone who attended our virtual celebration and AGM this year. It is so important to take the time to reflect on the amazing achievements of carers during these times.
As Samantha Hauge said “I know for many of you and from my own personal experience, that this last lockdown has been particularly challenging. Over the past 18 months or so many of you have become teachers, 24-hour nurturers, facilitators of online contact, solely responsible for the social, physical and emotional well-being of the children and young people in your care. You’ve done all of this under the height and anxiety of a major health crisis.”
We had 213 registrations for the event, 152 of those were carers represented well across all Victorian Foster Care Agencies, as well as Agency, sector and DFFH staff.
We were delighted to have the following speakers present at the celebration this year:
Minister Luke Donnellan - Minister for Child Protection and Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers
Dr Karen McLean
The Honourable Jennifer Coate AO
Carer Feedback
Thank you for advocating to improve processes so carers are supported and equipped to keep on going. I’ve felt like giving up at times due to the weekly drain of doing admin & chasing up things we should have been given already
Thank you FCAV for such a warm and inspiring AGM and thank you for your continued advocacy and support for carers. Jennifer Coate AO “Quite frankly, the child protection system could not function without foster carers’ the true value of carers must be recognised and rewarded.”
Justice Jennifer Coate’s presentation was so incredibly moving. Thank you to Sam, Tori, the staff and Board for organising and delivering a truly engaging AGM. A very professional slick operation
Click here to read the FCAV Annual Report 2020/2021
If you couldn’t make it, you can still watch a recording of the Carer Celebration & AGM via the following link:
