Connecting Foster & Kinship Carers SA Inc

👏Advocacy win for carers and the Social Work Registration Scheme 👏 Connecting Foster & Kinship Carers SA Inc recently supplied a submission to the Social Workers Registration Board of SA, raising concerns about potential impacts of the new registration scheme on our foster & kinship carer community. In response, Social Work Registration Scheme Director Professor Sarah Wendt, and team members Louise Butler and Chris Reynolds invited our CEO Fiona Endacott and Senior Advocate Sharee Borlace to discuss these concerns in detail. Whilst the peak body supports the Social Workers Registration Scheme’s commitment to higher standards of conduct and accountability in social work, we advocated that foster and kinship carers’ unique roles not be affected by registration requirements. We’re pleased to confirm that foster and kinship carers will be exempt from the registration, allowing them to continue their essential caregiving roles of their children and young people, without additional obligations. We’re also encouraged that the scheme will include an avenue to review social work practices—a function similar to the oversight provided by the SA Ombudsman and the Health & Community Services Complaints Commissioner SA. This will ensure a high standard of support and accountability for carers across the sector. Thank you to the Board for engaging with us in this meaningful discussion. Together, we’re working to balance high standards of professional practice with the unique needs of our carer community. For more on the scheme, visit the Social Workers Registration Board SA https://lnkd.in/g2VuQ8Bm.

Today, we were proud to attend the launch of the refreshed Statement of Commitment to foster and kinship carers. In partnership with The Honorable Katrine Hildyard MP, Connecting Foster & Kinship Carers SA Inc, Department for Child Protection, South Australia and Child and Family Focus SA we have each renewed our collective commitment to South Australian family based carers. Together, we pledge to inform, support, consult, value and respect all carers throughout their caring journey, recognising carers as an essential and respected part of the carer team for their children and young people. Click here to access the refreshed Statement of Commitment https://lnkd.in/g8fHxwax

Today at 3:56pm CF&KC-SA team members and Carer Council representatives witnessed the formal introduction of the Children and Young People Safety and Support Bill 2024 at the special invitation by The Honorable Katrine Hildyard MP. This transformative piece of legislation has children and young people at its heart, with a commitment to valuing, supporting, respecting, consulting and informing foster and kinship carers, by way of embedding the Statement of Commitment for foster & kinship carers- a pivotal document co-signed by Connecting Foster & Kinship Carers SA Inc. This is the beginning of a very important process, one the peak body will continue to be an active part in. Photo 1: The Hon Minister Hildyard with Carer Council Members Gai, Gail, Lorraine and CF&KC-SA CEO Fiona Photo 2: Sharee Borlace (Senior Advocate), Niamh Keller (Carer Advocate), Isabella Furnari (Carer Advocate), Fiona Endacott (CEO)

🌿 Celebrating Connection and Play at Belair National Park! 🌿 What an incredible day we had on Friday, 11th October 2024, as we brought together foster and kinship carer families for a memorable Carer Connection event in partnership with Nature Play SA at Belair National Park. 🌳 Carer families and their young people embraced a day full of nature-based activities, including: - Kite flying 🪁 - Building cubbies 🏕️ - Crafting flower potions and crowns 🌸👑 - Making masks 🎭 - Watercolour painting 🎨 With a calming tent available for those needing a quiet space, the event provided the perfect balance of fun, creativity, and relaxation. Nature play has been shown to foster creativity, confidence, and resilience, all critical in supporting the growth and wellbeing of children and young people in care. Partnering with the phenomenal team at Nature Play SA led by Jason Tyndall, and team members Jane, Janna, Emily, Cameron, Narrah and Stella, resulted in a perfect event. The Nature Play team supported young people and their carers to connect with nature, relax and enjoy outdoor play. Big shout out to the Novita Grounds for Growth coffee van team, supplying delicious coffee, tea and hot chocolate to our Carer families! ☕ The Grounds for Growth coffee van is operated by participants in Novita’s Transition to Work (TTW) program, which supports school-leavers and young people living with disability to find and maintain employment. It was wonderful to have them be part of our event, showcasing both skill development and community spirit. A big thank you to everyone who joined us! Together, we continue to build a supportive, nurturing community for carers and their families.

🌟 Milestone Meeting: Advocating for Foster and Kinship Carers 🌟 This week, the peak body had a significant cross-departmental meeting to raise the voices of our foster and kinship carers, advocating for much-needed improvements to address barriers carers face whilst navigating the education system for young people in their care. In collaboration with leaders from both the Department for Education and the Department for Child Protection, we discussed key barriers carers face in navigating the education system for the children they care for. With representation from both departments, including: •Darian Shephard-Bayly, Acting Deputy CE, Department for Child Protection •Shirley Smith, Acting Executive Director, Strategy Partnership & Reform, Department for Child Protection •Darren Humphrys, Executive Director, Support & Inclusion, Department for Education •Claire Simmons, Department for Education •Harry Manatakis, Acting Director, Engagement & Wellbeing Directorate, Department for Education •Linda Olifent, Lead Director, Priority Learners, Department for Education This meeting marked a milestone in systemic advocacy, as we elevated the SA foster & kinship carer community’s concerns directly to decision-makers. Our goal: to ensure better collaboration with carers with regard to decision making, and more inclusive, trauma-informed support in schools to improve educational outcomes for children in care. Together, we’re working to create lasting change, and we remain committed to amplifying the carer voice in all aspects of systemic reform.

🌟 Celebrating the Launch of Wakwakurna Kanyini 🌟 Congratulations to Wakwakurna Kanyini and SNAICC - National Voice for our Children for the successful launch earlier this week, celebrating the much-needed role of a peak body for Aboriginal children and young people in South Australia. Connecting Foster & Kinship Carers SA (CF&KC-SA) was honoured to be invited to this landmark event, where we had the privilege to hear directly from Aboriginal community members, Elders and allies about the significance of seeing Wakwakurna Kanyini become a reality. Their stories and reflections on how long they have waited for this moment served a firm reminder of the importance of this work. Wakwakurna Kanyini will provide vital leadership and advocacy for Aboriginal children, young people, and their families in South Australia, ensuring that their voices are heard, respected, and empowered. We look forward to supporting and collaborating with Wakwakurna Kanyini as they drive meaningful change for Aboriginal children, young people, carers and families.

A big round of applause for the First Nations foster and kinship carers who graduated with a Certificate IV in Community Services today! 👏🏼 This was our first student cohort dedicated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander carers, with 13 participants having their life experiences acknowledged and skills developed in order to receive a formal qualification. As the peak representing South Australia’s foster and kinship carers, CF&KC-SA is pleased to offer this incredible opportunity in partnership with the Bradford Institute of Advanced Education, with fees subsidised through Skills SA. Our graduates studied with Chris, a Bradford trainer, who has experience in delivering qualifications across Australia, most recently in Roper Gulf, Katherine. Graduates enjoyed learning in a supportive environment, utilising models of yarning assessment and drew on lived experience of providing care. Thank you to Tauondi Aboriginal College for providing a supportive, culturally safe learning environment for our grads, and to the Governor of South Australia's Deputy, Dr Richard Harris SC OAM, for hosting today's graduation at Government House. All of today's graduates have enjoyed the experience so much, they're starting study for their Diploma TOMORROW! 🥳 If you’re interested in studying and want to find out more about the courses available, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/gpK72DUp

🎧 Your listening for this week sorted. To mark Foster and Kinship Carer Week 2024, our CEO Fiona Endacott was joined by one of our member families, Verity and George, for a very special conversation with Community Centres SA for their Community Conversations podcast. In this episode, Fiona and Verity discuss the vital role of foster and kinship carers in South Australia, focusing on the growing demand for family-based care and the unique challenges faced by kinship carers. Fiona and Verity emphasise the need for better advocacy, increased carer payments, and more flexible options. We're grateful to Verity for sharing her personal journey of becoming a kinship carer for her nephew, shedding light on the emotional and financial difficulties involved. Listen here: 📳 https://lnkd.in/gsrYHByy

Connecting Foster & Kinship Carers SA Inc were proud sponsors of the Department for Child Protection South Australian Child Protection Awards held on Friday. It was a privilege to sponsor the Outstanding Service Award - Wellbeing and Development category, and acknowledge the incredible contributions organisations and agencies are providing in health, wellbeing and education. Our CEO Fiona Endacott was honoured to co-present the award with The Honorable Katrine Hildyard MP to the Australian Dental Foundation, acknowledging their work in improving dental health and well-being for children and young people in care. We at CF&KC-SA celebrate all finalists across the 12 categories, and every family based carer, volunteer, service provider and agency dedicated to creating a safe and nurturing environment for children and young people

Our CEO Fiona Endacott was honoured to be on the panel for the Healthy Development Adelaide - HDA event 'Reimagining Child Protection and Family Support in South Australia' this week. Held in conjunction with the Department for Child Protection, South Australia, the event brought together the Honourable Katrine Hildyard, Minister for Child Protection, non-government organisations and community representatives to explore the role everyone can play in improving the lives of children, young people and their families. Discussions centred around transforming the system to help enable all children and young people, and their families, to reach their full potential. Following the event, Fiona said it was powerful to present the voice of carers in how we as South Australians can reimagine child protection. “I was proud to share the challenges carers face, the success our national first Carer Council is experiencing, and what is currently working well within the system to date,” she said. “We at the peak are committed to working collaboratively to a positive future for children and young people.”