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Some children and young people are just not able to live with their families. Barnardos places children and young people with foster families who can care for them, till they are old enough to leave home, or until they are able to return back to their natural family. Could you foster a child or teenager? Could you share your home and family with a child or teenager? Being a foster carer is a rewarding experience. You get the chance to help a child grow up in a secure family environment. FOSTER CARERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Barnardos will provide you with training, ongoing support, and financial assistance. Become a Barnardos Carer or Volunteer! If you are interested in becoming a foster carer, scroll down for more information, or click here for an application form. Caring and Volunteering Options Although Barnardos has hundreds of carers and volunteers who work directly with children, we always need more. There are a number of different programs, and ways you can help. Carers and volunteers are the backbone of many Barnardos programs, and they cover a wide range of ages and circumstances. Many children in Barnardos care, have experienced abuse and neglect, and may be confused; angry; withdrawn and aggressive; and initially, have problems with their schoolwork, and with making friends. Barnardos tries to keep siblings together, and children close to supports, networks and educational and cultural groups that are important to them. Barnardos carers share many common traits. With the support of a Barnardos worker, they are able to:
You can help Barnardos by becoming a: * Permanent Carer - offering a permanent foster home to a child. * Temporary Family Care - Offering short-term placements for children and young people in the community. * Adoptive Parent - taking on all the rights and responsibilities of the birth parents, for a child or a young person, through a legal process. * Foster Carer - offering a home environment, with stability, patience and care. * Bridging Carer - provides short term or "bridging" foster placements, for children who are state wards. * Respite Carer - committing to taking a child into your home for one weekend every month, to relieve the pressure on foster families, and families under stress. * Community Placement Carer - offering a stable living situation, to a homeless young person. * Kids Friends - becoming a Friend or Tutor, to mentor a child for a few hours once a week. * Permanent Care and Adoption Barnardos Permanent Fostering and Adoption Values The underlying principles of Barnardos' Find-a-Family program, are that a secure family environment provides best for the needs of the child. In addition, children require stability in a placement, with the same carers, to develop to their full potential, and to establish relationships based on trust. The first priority of Barnardos, is always to provide for the needs of the child. Find-a-Family deal only with children between 2-12 years, who have been permanently removed from their birth families. The program specialises in finding successful placements for "hard-to-place" children; large sibling groups; and children with specific cultural requirements. Canberra FAF includes a wider range of children, some of whom will be restored to their natural families. * Barnardos' Success Barnardos attributes our success with long-term care placements, to the careful matching of individual children with a particular carer. Matched placements, along with Barnardos' monitoring, and carer support and training programs, ensure that the placement has the best chance of success. Respite Care programs, provide regular relief to carers; and Bridging Placements, ensure that a child receives good temporary care, whilst they wait for a long-term carer or family to be found. Barnardos' innovative LAC program, ensures continuity and stability for a child, during bridging and temporary foster placements. * Carers Carers receive a formal introductory training program, and ongoing professional training and support. Carers can be single, families or couples, but strong preference is given to those who have had previous experience in child-rearing. All carers are assessed and matched by Barnardos welfare workers, and undergo extensive interview, background and police checks and training. * Adoption Adoption is the legal process, where the new parent or parents, take on all the rights and responsibilities of the birth parents. This is a successful outcome for many children, who have been permanently removed from their birth family. Adoption provides a crucial sense of reassurance, permanency and belonging to a child, which enables them to begin the slow healing process from the trauma of abuse and neglect, within a safe and nurturing family environment. Barnardos provides an adoption service for children, whose parents have given signed consent, and who are over the age of 2 years. Children in Barnardos' care, may also be adopted, where this is seen to be in their best interest. Foster Care and Adoption Separation from family is one of the most disruptive events that can occur in a child's life. Without Barnardos' care and expertise, children suffering from the trauma of abuse and neglect, may also be affected by the process of fostercare. Barnardos believes that our fostercare placement system, has evolved into the best possible means of providing children with short and long-term placement options. The success of permanent foster care placements, derives from the careful matching of a child, with their foster family; and ongoing training and support for carers. The success of temporary foster care, is dependent on the commitment of the carer, to ensure the restoration of the child to their natural family, if possible. The success of foster care placements of adolescents, depends on the carer's level of understanding of identity and emerging independency needs of the young person. * Community Placements Community Placements provide adolescent fostercare. Our Find-a-Family service, specialises in arranging secure and caring adoption and permanent family care placements, for children of all ages. Barnardos has developed a number of systems to plan, review and monitor our care of children. We are assisted in these, by our research partners, from the local community. This may include partnerships with local universities, and health and welfare authorities. * Crisis & Respite Care Temporary Family Care (TFC) Temporary Family Care (TFC) is a program to protect children, particularly during a family breakdown. A family breakdown may be caused by problems such as poverty, isolation, domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and mental illness. The program identifies those at risk of abuse, and provides fostercare, and access to other services, to reduce that risk. Trained foster carers provide twenty-four hour crisis or respite child care, working as part of the Barnardos team, with the focus on finding permanent solutions for the family of children at risk of abuse and neglect, so that they may be restored to the family as soon as possible. The ultimate goal of Temporary Family Care, is to avoid the long-term separation of a child from its family. The family is seen as a child's strongest source of stability, identity, and sense of belonging. For those children who are not safe within the family, TFC provides care, while the court determines the child's future. TFS staff and carers, contribute their assessment to the court. TFC Crisis Care In cases of emergency care due to illness, emotional or mental crisis, where no other suitable family member is available, Barnardos offers fostercare. Children are placed as close to their home as possible, with the minimum of disruption to school and daily routines. Siblings are kept together, and all children in care, are encouraged to keep in contact with their families, as much as possible. TFC Respite Care TFC Respite Care provides respite carers, who provide regular intervals of care for children, whose families are isolated; have no other support; or are under severe stress, and where there is a risk of abuse or neglect. Such respite carers, often provide long-term support to the child and parent, to enable the child to live at home safely. FAF Bridging Care In order to prevent unnecessary moves, children requiring permanent care placements, wherever possible, remain in their current placements, whilst a prospective family is being sought. However, if there is no placement available, the child is moved into the Barnardos Intake Program, and is looked after by intake or bridging carers. Whilst waiting for long-term placement, Barnardos caseworkers assist children to begin to come to terms with their past and their future. Intake carers and caseworkers, prepare children for the move to their new family. The caseworker also uses this time, to give the child accurate information about their past, and the process by which Barnardos selects a carer for them. During the average ten month stay in Bridging Care, Barnardos aims to understand more fully, a child's particular placement needs. Program managers and carers, provide considerable support during this time. Ongoing carer training, is also an important part of this program. * Youth Accommodation/Adolescent Community Placement Adolescent Community Placements Adolescent Community Placements offer flexible and individualised solutions, for the accommodation of young people. These young people, may be damaged by their experiences in the care system, or by abuse and neglect earlier in life, and as a consequence, may be difficult to help. Many adolescents in this program, are not seeking an alternative family, but require the opportunity to develop and mature in a supported environment. The provision of a safe environment, where survival and security are not constant worries, significantly reduces stress, and exposure to danger in their lives. Some examples of accommodation, may be placements with carers; individual housing; supported accommodation; boarding and group housing. Our Adolescent Community Placement Program, aims to provide a safe place to stay; mediation with families (whether or not they may return home to live); and assistance with training, education and social skills. In addition, the program may provide a significant, stable adult, in the role of mentor, who may help them with long-term goals and focus. Transition Program The Transition Program at Barnardos Canberra, offers a variety of medium to long-term solutions, for chronically homeless young people, aged between 15-21 years. These options include: Head-leased Accommodation As many young people are excluded from renting flats, by their age, or lack of job and personal references, Barnardos leases units, and assists and supports young people, to learn domestic and budgeting skills. Family Placements Foster care for adolescents - a good solution for adolescents who need the support of a family structure. Boarding Arrangements This is an option for young people, who are more independent, and may even make a contribution to the assisted rent. Support in Rental Accommodation This can take place in private or Housing Trust accommodation: a worker will assist with budgeting, medical and legal issues, and may advocate with a landlord, on the young person's behalf. Caravans An imaginative solution, if appropriate space can be found for the caravan. This may be in the backyard of a supportive family. * Child Safety Child safety is an integral part of most of the services of Barnardos Australia, from issues of physical safety (eg. child car restraint programs), water safety and road safety courses. The major issues of child protection, safety in the home and neighbourhood, and safety of children in care, are part of our guiding principles and practices. Barnardos works towards increasing the safety of young people affected by drugs and alcohol. * Kids Friends Kids Friends is an innovative program, which uses volunteers from the community, to assist children from disadvantaged or socially isolated backgrounds, by taking a long-term active role in their lives. Kids Friends, links children from 6 to 16 years, to an adult mentor, who takes the child out for a few hours every week for a recreational activity. By offering an adult as mentor, the Kids Friends programs aim to raise a child's self-esteem, and general quality of life, through regular outings, sports and leisure activities. This will help them to develop life, literacy and numeracy skills; improve social and relationship abilities; and provide time out for them and their family. Parents are provided with written guidelines, explaining the conditions and expectations of the program. Training and Support Kids Friends volunteers, can obtain Information at their nearest Barnardos Centre, or by clicking here. If they wish to proceed, they will take part in a number of interviews at home, and at the Centre, to assess their skills; family dynamics; and suitability to the program, and to a particular child. Barnardos supports its volunteer carers with intensive training, support, and regular information sessions. Contact is maintained every week initially, and then fortnightly, and later monthly, once a firm routine and good relationship between child and mentor are established. To safeguard the security of children in the program, police and reference checks of volunteers, are also conducted. * Kids Friends Tutoring Program The Tutoring Program utilises the help of volunteers from the community, to assist children from 6-16 years, from disadvantaged backgrounds, who have poor literacy and numeracy skills. As with the Kids Friends Mentoring Program, tutors are matched with children, to ensure the best long-term relationship. Children will benefit from the provision of a suitable environment to conduct their studies, in addition to the tutor's assistance with any homework difficulties. Tutors and children are matched through consideration of personal attributes; the kind of help needed by a child; and the areas of expertise offered by a tutor. Tutors are subject to a recruitment and training process, with ongoing support, and monitoring and training on skills and strategies. Training and Support As with the Kids Friends Mentoring Program, volunteer tutors are subject to a recruitment and training process, which includes regular Information sessions, ongoing support, and monitoring. To safeguard the security of children in the program, police and reference checks of volunteers, are also conducted. * Family Support Barnardos believes that many children become abused and neglected, and are removed from their families, when parents do not have the resources to raise children. This is often due to the stressors of poverty and social isolation; mental illness; domestic violence; and drug and alcohol usage. Our Family Support programs, support children in the context of their home and family, by breaking down the social isolation of parents affected by family violence. They provide information, support and practical assistance with child rearing; childcare; solving problems; and living with a disability. All programs are aimed at improving the quality of life for children and their families. Barnardos recognises the importance of working in partnership, to prevent child abuse and neglect, as well as to establish good working relationships with other agencies. Partnerships, such as those with Early Childhood Health Services in the Illawarra, are entered into, to assist children with a fully integrated suite of options. * Sexual Assault Sexual Assault Counselling Counselling, family therapy, and group work, is available for children and adolescents, who have been, or may be at risk of, being sexually assaulted. Non-offending family members, may also be included in the counselling sessions. The goals of the program, are to assist children, young people, and families, to protect the victim and their family from further abuse; to recover from the trauma of sexual assault; and to assist in preventing further abuse. Auburn-Child and Adolescent Sexual Assault Program Adolescent Services - Introduction * Disability Families with children or young people with a disability, need special support, to help keep the family together. Barnardos Australia provides support programs, for children and young people with a disability and their families. In addition, a number of Barnardos general welfare programs, are open to children with a disability. Extra pressures on families with disabilities may include: Social isolation. There is evidence that informal social support can be reduced, when there is disability in a family. Children with a disability, have few contacts outside the family. Living under stress, including tiredness, anxiety prompted by a sense of social stigma and depression. Financial pressure. The families of children with a disability, bear increased costs, due to restricted parental income; medical costs; transport; day-care and education; specialist services; educational aids; help in the home; special foods; and clothing. Barnardos has concentrated its efforts, to support families affected by these difficulties, in order to help them keep their child with them, so as to avert a family breakdown.
* Crisis Intake This service, which also offers an after hours telephone option, is provided to any child, young person or family in crisis, either in person, or over the phone. A crisis intake worker, will make an immediate assessment of the family situation, and may help either by referrals; information; crisis counselling; or in Childrens Family Centres with practical help such as food, electricity bills, or needle exchange services. The program aims to bridge the gap, in cases where family or social networks, are not available in a crisis, thus averting potential abuse or neglect situations, and helping to keep children with their families. In addition, workers aim to alleviate immediate distress, and if possible, avoid the need for long-term care, to provide practical assistance, and to offer information and advocacy services, which may relieve the immediate problem. An after-hours on-call system is available for emergency cases. Auburn * Canberra Barnardos Canberra Childrens Family Centre The Centre in Canberra has been operating for over 40 years, during which time, there have been many changes in program development. Barnardos Childrens Family Centre in Canberra, offers family support; out-of-home care; and supported accommodation services; for disadvantaged children, adolescents and their families, in the ACT and surrounding areas. The programs address the problems of Canberra, with a population of young families, and increasing numbers of adolescents. Canberra has a broad cross-section of people, and Barnardos programs target the most financially and socially disadvantaged. Barnardos integrated approach to child welfare, means that programs within the Centre, offer seamless solutions, to meet a child's particular situation. Families and young people, may be accessing up to three programs at any one time. Services include: Foster Care Crisis and Respite Care (TFC) TFC Mental Health/TFC ACT (TFC) Find a Family ACT (Permanent Fostering) Homelessness Transition Program/Housing Outreach Program Mentoring Programs Tutoring Kids Friends Family Support Programs Parenting Outreach/Young Mums Find-a-Family ACT Permanent Family Care * Payment Depending upon which program you join, you may be a volunteer, or paid an allowance. * Background, preparation and training With all the volunteer programs dealing with children, carers are carefully matched with children, with consent on both sides. When you join Barnardos, you will be a respected member of our professional team. A number of information sessions are conducted for carers, and if you decide to proceed, Barnardos will need to have a number of meetings with you and your family. Police and referee checks are compulsory. You will be expected to undertake training on an ongoing basis, and your Barnardos worker will always be there to offer 24 hour support. Regular information sessions will give you details about the welfare of the child in your care, and the protocols of dealing with different situations. * Caring in another way If you do not wish to work directly with children, but would like to help in another way, please contact our Canberra Volunteer Co-ordinator on 6241 5466 Click on a link below for further information: Carer application form ****************************** This Community Support Website is |
