2024 Foster and Kinship Care Conference
Please find below the Fact Sheet for support for grandparents, foster carers, kinship carers and other non-parent carers of children:
Did you know - Any alcohol consumed when pregnant passes directly to the developing baby and can damage their brain, body, and organs. It can also lead to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a lifelong disability.
New resources developed by NOFASD Australia as part of the Every Moment Matters Campaign are available to support people involved in out-of-home care as they play a central role in recognising and supporting the needs of children and young people with FASD. Access the resources here.
Please help spread the word by sharing this information with your colleagues, family, and friends. Learn more about the campaign here.
In this webinar, caregivers of children with FASD talk about how the resources for families and people working within the out of home sector will make a difference to help raise awareness and understanding of FASD and assist to get the best outcomes for children at risk of FASD. Watch the webinar here.
The Qld Children's Hospital has put together some documents in regards to gender identity. For further information please click on the links below:
Have you heard of Sortli? An App all about ‘How to Adult’ designed by young people for young people
Sortli (short for ‘sort out your life’) is a free mobile app for young people to help them with their transition to adulthood. It focuses on eight key areas of identity, relationships, finding a place to live, health, finances, gaining education and looking for a job, legal matters and general living skills. Sortli is full of useful information and tools (including a budget calculator) to help young people on their way to becoming adults. Sortli was developed by young people who were growing into adulthood from the foster, kinship and residential care backgrounds but is relevant for all young people on the journey to adulthood.
Young people can use Sortli independently or assisted by carers, parents or support workers as part of their planning for adulthood. Download Sortli from the app stores now or for more information head to:http://createyourfuture.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Sortli-Worker-Flyer_Generic2018.pdf
You can also check out a video about Sortli here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnw78HOu5C8
Why use sortli?
• Fun and easy-to-navigate
• Access to links and resources for everything young people need to think of when becoming an adult
• Goal lists to set personal goals and milestones to keep track of progress and celebrate successes
• A budget calculator to help young people to manage their finances and ensure their income covers their expenses
• Helps to engage young people to think about their future goals and how they see themselves living as independent adults in their community
• Free download for iPhone, Android or Microsoft
For more information contact:
Paris Hambridge@CREATE Foundation (, 02 9267 1999)
Carer Connect is a web and mobile friendly app being developed to provide carers with improved access to information and support.
For more information download the Carer Connect flyer
From 1 July 2017, foster and kinship carers will receive a minimum gap cost payment of at least $40 per week ($2000 per year) for each child attending an approved early childhood education program.
Sarah McMurtrie is a teacher, writer and imminent psychologist specialising in supporting traumatised children and adolescents. Sarah is also the author of UNTWIST which is a trauma informed care tool designed to facilitate meaningful connection and communication with displaced children, especially adolescents aged 10 to 17 years.
Below are some links and also articles which Sarah has shared:
Helping Children to Regulate Their Emotions Fact Sheet
Useful Links:
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WHO |
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PROFESSIONALS |
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Brene Brown |
Explores effects of Shame. Researched based. Great ideas to consider |
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Dan Siegel |
Supports our understanding of children’s behaviour- with a great hand/brain model of what happens when students ‘flip out’- Enhances self awareness/emotional regulation. Author of :‘ No Drama Discipline’ + ‘ Parenting from the Inside Out’ |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm9CIJ74Oxw https://themindfulclassroom.wordpress.com/category/the-brain
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Dan Siegel |
Connecting to Calm- A must see if you have a teenager! |
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Bruce Perry |
He’s Honey pot of sites and resources for children that have experienced trauma. |
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Dan Hughes |
PACE model. (Therapeutic Care)- holds workshops in Australia- worth seeing! |
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Josh Shipp |
Great ted talks. (Previously a child in care- focus on supporting teens) |
http://joshshipp.com/one-caring-adult/
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Amy Cubby |
Power of positive body posture |
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ORGANISATIONS |
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Australian Childhood Foundation |
Check their resources page- free to down load |
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The Child Trauma Academy |
Posts useful info |
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The Australian Child & Adolescent Trauma, Loss and Grief Network |
Posts useful info |
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Science of the Greater Good |
Worth subscribing to great useful emails. |
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SCHOOL |
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Calmer Classrooms |
Make sure your child’s school/ teacher have these resources |
http://www.ccyp.vic.gov.au/childsafetycommissioner/downloads/calmer_classrooms.pdf. http://suelarkey.com.au/shop (lots of OT resources: chew stixx, pencil toppers, Fidgipods)- worth subscribing to her mailing list- lots of good ideas. http://www.mindfulschools.org check out the short films- “Room to Breathe” |
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ENVIRONMENT |
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Environments have the ability to change our mood. McDonalds or a candle lit dinner? Our tummy gets full either way but the experience is different. Lighting, furniture, music + sensory tools can have a significant impact in a childs ability to calm/ self sooth. |
http://shopau.sensorytools.net Chat to your local OT. Most have great sites or resources to share- worth asking them! |
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MINDFULNESS |
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Websites |
Supports children’s ability to be Calm, present + engaged. |
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-yJPcdiLEkI( Mindfulness in schools) http://www.mentalstillness.org/mental-stillness-learning-project ( Sydney Uni mindfulness in school project) http://smilingmind.com.au/education-program https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=mindfulness%20activities |
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APPS |
FREE. There are 100’s – the following are worth starting with… |
Calm ( image: word calm in white writing) Headspace ( image: orange dot), Smiling Mind ( Image: cloud- smile) Relax Melodies (Image: moon. Has good sleep stories), Happify ( Image: letter ‘h’) Colourfly ( Image: swan) |
The Statement of Commitment between the Department of Child Safety, foster care services and the carers of Queensland, reflects the importance of sharing our responsibilities and respecting each other's rights in providing the necessary services that keep children and young people safe from harm.
