Carer Anniversaries
Congratulations and many thanks to…
Carers who have reached their five year anniversary of caring for Allambi Care
⭐ Taneisha Alsleben 30th March 2026
Carers who have reached their one year anniversary of caring for Allambi Care
⭐ Natasha Millar & Sam Martin 17th June 2026
⭐ Timeka Capizzi 25th June 2026
Training Calendar
📍 9th June – 5.30pm to7pm Carer Evening Connect RSVP by 05.06.2026
Join us for a relaxed evening designed just for you!! Our Carer Evening Connect is all about bringing carers together in a welcoming, no-pressure space to unwind, share some food, and connect with others who understand the journey.
📍 18th June – 10am to 1pm Family Time & Connections RSVP by 12.06.2026
Carers are the custodians of children’s connections to their family and important people, when they are living in out-of-home care. Carers hold these connections so they can be passed on to the child, and they can carry those relationships with them over their lifespan. Research tells us that children need to feel they belong to both of their families and that they don’t have to choose between them.
When children are in out-of-home care, maintaining relationships with children’s family members can be complex and challenging but it’s important not to give up and disconnect.
Children who are disconnected from family members can feel grief, rejection, curiosity and a yearning to know more about them. Without efforts to mend relationships, the distress of disconnection can impact them across their lifespan. Meaningful relationships can help children heal from emotional trauma and develop a strong sense of who they are. We now know from research that children who graduate from care with a strong network of people who love them and care about them – have longer and healthier lives.
📍30th June – 10am to 12pm Carer Catch Up Morning Tea RSVP by 25.06.2026
Lock in this date for the second morning tea of the year which will be held in our Mezzanine meeting room. We provide a space for carers to catch up with each other and enjoy a delicious morning tea from the café. There may be some activities that you can participate in or, you can just sit and relax. Come along and spend time with other Carers.
📍 15th July – 10am to 12pm FUN DAY – Revolution Sports Park RSVP by 10.07.2026
Put Wednesday 15th July aside in the holidays for a day of play at Revolution Sports Park. The day is loads of fun for kids and carers years so don’t miss out! Pizza and drinks supplied for lunch!
Revolution Sports Park: 55 The Avenue, Maryville
Please RSVP to our new email address: RSVPCarersTraining@allambicare.org.au
Carer ID card
Have you received you Carer ID card yet? If not, we need you to supply a head shot photo that you love to your Case worker, and we will do the rest. Handy for free parking at the John Hunter Hospital if you need to take your child or young person.
Have you joined our Facebook Group yet?
In today’s digital age, we know how important it is to stay connected—and that’s exactly why we’ve launched this page: to share news, updates, and opportunities in a way that reaches as many carers as possible, quickly and easily. This page will be one of our central hubs for:
- Upcoming events and training opportunities
- Important updates and news
- Resources, tips, and support to help you in your vital role
Please chat with your Caseworker for details of how to join the group.
Are you familiar with all the team members in Fostering & Permanency?
Over the coming months we will introduce them to you so you can say hi. This month we are getting to know:
Jo Haythorne: Caseworker - Fostering & Permanency AND a foster carer
Favourite Food: Dumplings - any flavour!
To relax I: socialise with my girlfriends and spend time with my family.
Hobbies: I love restoring old furniture. It soothes my soul.
Currently listening to: True Crime podcasts - I am obsessed with them. My favourite is ‘Seeing Red’.
Best thing about my job: Being able to support the young people and their carers I work with. I love sharing the experience I’ve gained from working in this field and the experiences I’ve had as a foster carer with colleagues and carers. I also love solving complex issues and being able to think out of the box to reach a solution that works for the team I’m working with.
Mikaela Blackeby: Caseworker - Fostering & Permanency
Favourite Food: Mexican
To relax I: Spend time with friends, listen to audiobooks and paint.
Hobbies: Reading/Listening to audiobooks, Lego and scrapbooking.
Currently listening to: Audiobook – Verity by Coleen Hoover.
Best thing about my job: It has been incredibly rewarding to build strong, meaningful relationships with the children, young people, and carers I support. It is amazing to watch the children and young people thrive and achieve so many things, from singing on stage, taking their first steps and purchasing their first care. Each milestone reminds me why I chose to step into the foster care space.
Carers for kids training calendar
Carers for Kids has many training opportunities available, and all training is free for authorised foster and kinship carers, guardians and adoptive parents from out-of-home care. Follow the link for a calendar of what’s available for June.
📍June 2 - 10am to 12pm - ONLINE - Safety In Care: Understanding Reportable Conduct
This training session explores safety in care and reportable conduct investigations for carers of children in care. This can be a highly emotional and difficult time for carers. The webinar explores the process and supports available throughout the process of an investigation.
📍June 3 - 10.30am to 12.30pm - GOSFORD - First Aid
This RTO recognised First Aid training course is perfect for carers who need to update their training.
📍June 9, June 17 & June 23 - 10.30am to 12.30pm
ONLINE: Healing Family Connections: Navigating Relationships in Kinship Care
Kinship care places children and young people within their family, community, and culture, an arrangement that carries both profound strengths and unique relational complexities. This webinar provides kinship carers with practical tools, scripts, and trauma-informed strategies to navigate family relationships, share the child’s story appropriately, and hold difficult conversations with compassion and clarity.
📍June 24 - 11am to 12pm - ONLINE - Carer Catchup
This session will be an open platform guided by a carer support team member, who will be there to answer your questions and provide resources to support you so grab a cuppa and login with the link they send you.
📍June 25 & June 30 - 10am to 12pm - ONLINE - Safety In Care: Understanding Reportable Conduct
This training session explores safety in care and reportable conduct investigations for carers of children in care. This can be a highly emotional and difficult time for carers. The webinar explores the process and supports available throughout the process of an investigation.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying can be devastating for children’s and teenagers’ wellbeing. If your child is being cyberbullied, they need your love and support and the help of other trusted adults like teachers. This will help your child handle cyberbullying and get back to enjoying life.
How do I know if my child or young person is being cyberbullied?
Watch for changes in your child or young person’s school and social life, technology use, emotions and behaviour.
You know your child or young person and how they usually behave, even if you find it hard to keep up with the technologies that are being used and the different ways that cyberbullying can happen. This means you are in a good position to notice any concerning changes in your child or young person. These are some of the changes that may occur.
School and Social life:
- School refusal
- Starts to get lower marks than usual
- Doesn’t want to see friends
- Doesn’t want to take part in their usual sports and other activities
- Avoids group gatherings
- Is upset during or after using the internet
- Spends much longer than usual online, or stops using the computer or phone
- Stops what they’re doing on the computer if you walk past
Technology use:
Emotions and Behaviours:
- Are more moody than usual
- Show obvious changes in behaviours
- Get unusually angry at home
- Have trouble sleeping
- Have no appetite
- Feel sick or complain of frequent headaches or stomach aches.
You can help your child handle cyberbullying by:
- working through the GETRID steps together
- getting the school involved if appropriate
- showing your child love and support at home
GETRID steps for children and teenagers
If your child is experiencing cyberbullying, it’s important for them to feel that they have the power to sort it out themselves. These 6 steps are a good way for your child to GETRID of cyberbullying.
You might need to help your child work through these steps, especially if they’re feeling overwhelmed or exhausted by the cyberbullying or they don’t know where to go for help.
1. Go block – but don’t delete
Blocking can stop the person who’s cyberbullying from posting offensive content about your child directly to your child. Your child can block someone by:
- tapping the phone number they want to block and then tapping ‘block’
- asking service providers to block the phone number
- following the ‘how to block’ instructions on the website or app where the cyberbullying is happening.
2. Ensure you keep evidence
Save evidence of the cyberbullying. The best way to do this is by taking screenshots.
3. Tell someone
If your child shares their feelings about the cyberbullying with you or another trusted adult, an older sibling or a close friend, it can help them feel less isolated. The sooner they talk to someone the better.
4. Report abuse
You can usually report cyberbullying by clicking the ‘report abuse’ link on the website or app. The website or app will remove the offensive content, but this can take time. If the material isn’t removed in 48 hours, you can report it to the eSafety Commissioner.
If your child has been threatened, they should report it to the local police. If your child is being threatened or they’re in immediate danger, they or you should call 000.
5. Initiate control
Taking control of the cyberbullying situation can help your child feel safer. It involves reporting the abuse but not responding to or retaliating against the person who’s cyberbullying. Responding or retaliating can make things worse.
If your child feels the urge to respond, you can help your child calm down. You could also suggest your child does something relaxing, like going for a walk or doing muscle relaxation, breathing exercises or mindfulness exercises.
6. Delete offensive content
After you’ve saved evidence of the cyberbullying, delete, hide or mute the message or post. Don’t forward, repost or retweet a post.
If you are worried that your young person isn’t responding to you or a trusted adult, reach out to your Case worker for support, help and advice.