What is CaringLife?

CaringLife is a new online platform and App, created by OzChild carers, that gives kids and teens in out-of-home care a way to see all the photos, videos and important memories from their time in care. At the moment, these memories are often given to the kids on a USB or in a scrapbook, which can be damaged or lost. CaringLife is not a social media network - it's designed to be a completely private way for young people in out-of-home care to see all their memories.

What can be uploaded?

Everything and anything that is important to the child or teen in care. It might be photos and videos from their birthday party, funny photos they take at home, a holiday they had with you, school photos, or a day at the park. It can also be scans of sporting awards, certificates of participation, birthday cards, artwork, school reports etc. If it's something a young person would like to remember, it can be uploaded.

Connecting lives

It connects kids and teens with their Carers and lets both the kids and Carers upload the content, write captions, and see all the memories from their time together. If the young person moves to a new family, the new Carers are connected with the child’s life story and can continue to upload all the new memories. The content will be able to be accessed forever - even when the person leaves care or turns 18. It’s also a great way for you to remember your time with your child – you also have access to all this content forever.

You would have received information and login details for the new online App for Carers of OOHC, CaringLife. If you attended the CaringLife Zoom session last Wednesday evening, the App was explained by one of its creators (a Foster Carer as well), Anthony Denahy. Anthony likened the use of the App to “dropping seeds of life along the journey of the children in your care” and, the staff of Fostering and Permanency would definitely agree. If you missed the Zoom session and need help with how to use the App, you can visit their website at www.caringlife.com or contact Mel Weir at Melanie.Weir@allambicare.org.au

WWC Renewal Delays

Please be aware that there are currently significant delays in the processing of Working with Children Checks. We have been advised by the Office of the Children's Guardian to encourage our authorised carers and adult household members to renew their WWCC early if they are due. Allambi Care will send you a reminder email 6 weeks before the due date. We strongly advise you renew immediately. It is illegal to care for children without a current WWCC.

Children Leaving Care Plan

When children in OOHC reach 16, their agency and Carers are required to put plans in place that facilitate a smooth transition. If you have a child who is approaching this age, we have information and resources that can help.

Leaving care is a technical term used in legislation. All it means is that their care order ends and that when they turn 18, they are no longer formally in the care of the Minister. It doesn’t mean that they have to leave your home, that is up to you and your young person to decide. A Leaving Care Plan will help you and them make decisions around their future. It will include things like Support Networks, Health & Safety, Education & Training, Work, Rights & Entitlements and Finances.

If you or your young person would like help with putting a Leaving Care Plan together, speak with your Case Worker. They will be able to help and give you resources to look through. We have ‘Your Next Step-Preparing Young People for Leaving Care’ which is a great resource for young people and ‘Leading the Way- A Guide for Foster, Relative and Kinship Carers.’

New Code of Conduct

There has been an update to our Carers' Code of Conduct. This will be discussed with you at your next annual review

WINNER of Online Carer Training

We have the first lucky winner! To go in the draw, you had to login and complete an online module within the month it was released. Please meet Chantal Adney, happily posing with her $50 gift card. Who will be next?

Online Training

Have you looked at the latest upload to our training platform? Allambi Care recognises the importance of Carers having access and participating in training that increases their caring skills and abilities. We are fortunate enough to have our own Allambi Care Clinical Department, which are a multi-disciplinary team ranging from Psychologists and Behaviour Specialists to Medical Doctors and Allied health professionals, to provide support and training to staff.

Some topics that have been uploaded so far include:

Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Families
Circle of Security
Functional Living Skills- Pt 1
Functional Living Skills- Pt 2
Applied Behaviour Analysis
Managing Hyperactive Behaviour

To log on to the portal go to: LMS Sign In (allambicare.org.au)

Indoor Fun

We know how challenging it can be to entertain kids for hours at home. That’s why we’ve put together a few suggestions for activities you can do at home to keep the whole family busy during lockdown.

Murderer Wink

Similar to Murder in the Dark, but with a winking murderer.

Sit all the children in a circle and get them to close their eyes.
Pick one player, or 2 if you have a really large group, to be the murderer, by touching them on their shoulder.
Then get everyone to open their eyes and pick a detective.
The ‘murderer’ must catch another players eye and wink quickly at them. If you are winked at you die, in a really dramatic fashion of course!
The detective must try and guess who the murderer is.
The murderer keeps winking at people until they are all out or they have been caught.

Twenty Questions

One person thinks of a thing or a person and the others have to guess what it is but are only allowed to ask questions that get a Yes or a No. The others must guess by the 20th question. First one to guess gets to pick the next item to be guessed.

Sardines

Sardines gives a twist to the classic game of hide and seek. Instead of one person seeking and everyone else hiding, one person hides and everyone else seeks.

Once one of the seekers finds the person hiding, they must hide with that person. This continues until there is only one person left seeking and everyone else is crammed together like sardines in the hiding place. The last person to find everyone else now becomes the new hider for the next round.Meet Michael Burke

Adult & Family Counsellor

Favourite Food: Dark chocolate – as gifted by the gods!

To relax I: Go to the beach and paddle out the back.

Currently listening to: Audio book classic “The Master & Margarita” How wicked is Woland?

Best thing about my job: Helping parents/Carers connect with and welcome the emerging and unique adult personalities, of the teens in their lives.

Michael will be presenting at our next face-to-face Ongoing Training on the 8^th October 2021 in conjunction with Grahame Williams.

My Forever Family Training

SEPT 1 – 7.30pm- Webinar. Working Collaboratively with your Care team

It takes a village to raise a child, however, for children and young people in care that village can seem complex and difficult for their carers to navigate. This webinar provides a guide to understanding and accessing supports and services for children in care and creating collaborative partnerships with your foster child's team.

SEPT 2 - 8.00pm- PM Online Training. Therapeutic Techniques.

This online training covers therapeutic techniques to assist children and young people to be heard, and the following topics will be explored:

Techniques for reaching the ‘hard to reach’ child;
Listening and interpretive skills;
Addressing sensitive issues and providing appropriate responses;
Trauma and recovery;
and more...

SEP 15 - 10.00am- Webinar. The Process for Everything.

This webinar is al about advocating for children in care and empowering their carers. We allow carers to discover how they create their own experience of reality; recognising there is no blame game!

SEP 15 - 7.30pm- Evening Webinar. Navigating the NDIS for Carers

This webinar session will help carers to navigate the National Disability Insurance Scheme and how it can be used to best support both the child and the carer themselves.

SEP 17- 10.00am- Webinar. When Good Intentions Aren't Good Enough

Let’s take a deep dive into the highs and lows of foster care and explore the impact that it has on our capacity to care. How to respond to challenging behaviours expressed by children – what is blocked care?

SEP 22- 7.30pm- Evening Webinar. Understanding the Reportable Conduct Processes

This webinar guides carers through:

Knowing what Reportable Conduct is
How you should respond if there is a Reportable Conduct allegation
Understand what defines reportable conduct
Know the process of reportable conduct

SEP 30- 10.00am- Online Lounge Room. Ask an Expert!

Dr Aronson is a paediatrician and one of the leading humanitarians in the field of orphan care. She will be joining us live from New York in the Online Lounge Room and for an hour we'll be able to talk through the issues we are experiencing with our kids, in a safe, supportive environment, and work with Dr Aronson toward a tailored solution.

For more information, please contact: http://www.myforeverfamily.org.au/events

Fried Rice Recipe

Check out this popular recipe. Perhaps the young ones at home may want to give you a hand in the kitchen!

Ingredients:

1 cup white long-grain
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly whisked
2 bacon rashers, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and grated
2 shallots, trimmed, finely sliced
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 tbsp soy sauce
Sesame seeds, to serve
Shallots, sliced, extra, to serve

Step 1
Cook the rice in a large saucepan of boiling water for 12 minutes or until tender. Drain and leave to cool.
Step 2
Heat oil in non-stick wok or large frying pan over medium heat. Add eggs. Swirl over base to form an omelette. Cook for 2 minutes or until set. Transfer to a chopping board. Set aside to cool slightly. Cut into short strips.
Step 3
Add bacon to wok. Cook 4 minutes until light golden. Add carrot. Stir fry 1 minute. Add shallots, peas and rice. Cook, stirring, 3-4 minutes. Add egg and soy sauce. Stir until heated through. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and top with extra shallots. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!