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Parents and carers whose children join their families through permanent care, kinship care and adoption want to raise happy, healthy children who thrive in life. There is undoubtedly significant joy and fulfilment along the way. However, there are also unique challenges for these families due to the early disruption experienced by children who are not being raised by their birth parents. In addition, many (if not most) of these children will have experienced some level of early trauma (often profound) due to neglect and/or abuse. Their behaviour and ability to settle into a new family is likely to reflect these experiences in different ways and at different stages, leading to very real challenges for parents, carers, siblings, extended families and the professionals who support them. The opportunity to gain support from peers and counsellors while raising your child will be invaluable.
The CAP program offers therapeutic support by an experienced counsellor, aimed at supporting and improving the mental health and wellbeing of parents and carers (including adoption).
Up to 3 sessions will be available for matters on which you may require support. Some of the issues you might need additional support for include loss and grief following a family matter or breakdown, anxiety and depression, compassion or caring fatigue, blocked care, system ‘trauma’ following an incident, complexities in contact or similar.
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Jake brings significant experience within the out-of-home care space to the Carer Assistance Program. Having previously worked within child protection case management and after-hours, Jake has a nuanced understanding of the service system we operate within. Additionally, he has experience in providing therapeutic support to children, carers, and families with child protection involvement, supporting these families through a wide array of difficulties. Jake is within his final months of a Master of Educational and Developmental psychology, and has experience in conducting Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, mindfulness therapy, and somatic (body awareness) therapies. |
To access the counselling service, simply fill out the self-referral form available here. Self Referral CAP
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Parents and Carers Sharing Experiences, Thursday evenings bi-monthly 8.00-9.30pm Share & Connect offers members an opportunity to connect with other parents and carers in a safe space and to share the unique and common experiences of parenting children through permanent care, kinship care and adoption. Prospective families who are waiting for a child to join them are also welcome. |
Share & Connect is facilitated by skilled volunteers with lived experience in raising children through permanent care, kinship care and adoption. Confidentiality is an important part of these meetings.
Typically a brief article is circulated each month prior to the meeting – or we have a guest speaker with expertise in a particular topic.
Meetings are conducted online or in person every second month on Thursday evenings.
All welcome. Please join us by registering on our events page here.
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Advisor Led Specified Topic with Parents and Carers Input, Wednesday 12.00-1.00pm monthly Click and Connect meets regularly once a month online on Wednesdays from 12.00-1.00pm, and provides a supportive social space that allows natural conversations to flow to ensure you are honoured as experts of your families and lives, while having the expertise of a PCA Adviser on hand for additional professional support. |
Click and Connect was developed in response to parents/carers requiring extra support in the context of COVID-19.
Meetings begin with a brief overview of the topic by a PCA Families advisor before opening up to the group to share experiences, thoughts and ideas. Like all of our peer support groups, you are welcome to participate if you are a parent/carer of a permanent care, kinship care or adoptive family, or a prospective parent/carer. Future topics are decided collaboratively with participants.
You are welcome to attend as often as you like, whether that’s just once or regularly.
Meetings are online and pre-registration is required via our Zoom link.
For information about our Click & Connect topics and dates, and registration links, please see our events page here
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Location Based Gathering of Parents and Carers, Daytime Ad Hoc Dates Getting together to connect with others with lived experience is important. so that you might gather face to face with like minded peers and share tips and advice and/or seek out some specialist advice from one of our PCA Advisors. |
A PCA Advisor and a parent or carer with lived experience will attend these sessions and sessions will only be available to members.
We will be open and flexible to discuss whatever you wish on the day or you can contact us ahead of time to let us know what you would like to know more about.
Refreshments and snacks will also be provided.
For information about our Lets Connect topics and dates, and registration links, please see our events page here
If you have been thinking it would be great to have the opportunity to connect with other families formed through permanent or kinship care and adoption and you want to setup a group, you may want to consider how you might start. Consider PCA Families fact sheet on setting up a playgroup or a support group here.
Please let us know if you have an idea for a future peer support topic as we are flexible and can adapt as we go!
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