You helped us to make a huge difference with your support for our Youth Development Fund and we can’t thank you enough.
Back in November at our AGM, our Patron Prof. Brian Burdekin AO launched our Youth Development Fund with a request to help us raise $60,000 to enable us to fund a number of activities across our organisation.
We’re almost there!
With your help, at the time of writing this post, we received $52, 685 in donations. This means our young people will benefit in ways they may never have imagined. So a big fat thank you to each and every one of you who made this happen – together we can make a difference!
We will share updates of where your money is being used and as always we make your money work hard for us and our children and young people.
Special thanks goes out to Prof Burdekin AO, our Patron who matched your donation dollar for dollar up to $10,000 getting us off to a very good start!
There’s still time
If you wanted to donate but haven’t yet – there’s still time, we are just short of our target of $60,000 so with just a bit over $7,000 we are there! Would you like to help?
We will have a stall at the Mardi Gras Fair this year and we are looking forward to connecting with as many of you as possible! This is a wonderful opportunity to be part of a large community event. Our Carer team will be present to explain what it’s like to be a Burdekin Foster Carer.
Whether you are single, married, a home owner, renting, need us to provide a home, have a full time job, are part of the LGBTQ+ community, have a disability, are from an ethnic minority group – Carers come in all shapes and forms. We want to talk to you about what it means to be a Burdekin Foster Carer. Please take time to come by and say hi to us and learn more about our work.
The Mardi Gras Fair will be held at Victoria Park on Sunday 20th February in Broadway. There promises to be food, markets, comedy, dance and live music for all ages. We hope to see you there!
Monthly information sessions and local pop up events
Each month, our team hold information sessions about being a Burdekin Foster Carer. At the session we will take interested potential carers through all the information and answer questions. Please register your interest or share this post with somebody who might be keen. Here are our monthly dates.
In addition to monthly sessions we are popping up at local events – you might have seen us recently at the Marrickville Justice Fair and the Marrickville Organic Markets – thanks to those of you who dropped by and said hi. We will keep you posted about future events as it is a great opportunity to find out some information, pick up a flyer and chat to a real person about what is involved in being a Burdekin Foster Carer.
Have you ever considered becoming a foster carer?
You may have considered fostering a child in the past and have been hesitant for many reasons. Common reasons that hold people back might be:
Concerns about disruptions to your life/ your children’s life
Concerns about it being too challenging
Concerns about not having the right skills or personality
You might be worried about the behavioural challenges of a child who has suffered trauma
You might be concerned about relations with the biological family
You might be worried about becoming too attached/not attached
You might worried that you won’t be able to stick it out or will want to quit
Our team knows this – they know how you feel, they have been there too.
Considerations
Talking about becoming a foster carer doesn’t mean that you have to go through with it
Attending information sessions doesn’t mean that you have to go through with it
You can start off slow – with emergency or respite care
Becoming a Burdekin Foster Carer is different to other types of foster care because you have a whole team of support behind you to work with you and the child or young person
Our team are ready to support you through your initial inquiries with no expectations.
Contact us
For more information about becoming a Carer please contact our Carer Support Coordinators:
During the pandemic we undertook a client survey to find out how the young people in our care are doing – what is going well and what is going not so well – in our continuous strive to better meet their needs.
Data for the client survey was collected over a period of 3 months via an online survey platform. The survey team comprised of volunteers Amy, Bec and Caitlin, headed by Burdekin employee and Volunteer Manager Jill.
The opportunity to participate in the survey was offered to all clients in Burdekin’s housing programs, Out of Home Care and Youth Housing, and in both the Inner West and Northern Beaches regions.
The survey was conducted primarily during the difficult period of Sydney’s lengthy COVID-19 lockdown. This presented the opportunity to undertake a “pulse check” on the state of service delivery during this challenging time on top of the purpose of the survey to gather vital client feedback to inform future decision-making and get a clear understanding of how well we are doing as a service provider.
Being a Carer with The Burdekin Association is different from the traditional foster care programs.
We are a community-based non-profit organisation with lots of different housing options, including a rent-free home for you and the child, generous carer allowance, ongoing training and continued support. Singles, couples and families areALL welcome!
Are you ready?
Do you want to take the next step and make a difference to a child’s life? For more information, call Kerrie on 02 8976 1777 or email carer@burdekin.org.au.
Check out what Burdekin Foster Carers and young people in care have to say.
Have a listen to what Beth and Ange have to say about being Foster Carers with Burdekin. Beth and Ange.
Have a listen to what a difference having a caring home made to CJ. CJ
Have a listen to what being Foster Carers has meant to Jill and Tom. Jill and Tom.
Lisa* is a kind, thoughtful 11-year-old girl with loads of energy, looking for a loving home in the Inner West of Sydney. Lisa loves gymnastics, dancing and has recently shown a lot of interest in AFL. Lisa will be making the transition to high school next year and may need help getting to and from her new school. Lisa loves school but sometimes needs some support with her homework. She loves structure and routine and goes to bed at the same time every night. Lisa is an amazing chef – her favourite things to make are smoothies and cupcakes. *Image and name has been changed to protect child’s identity.
Ricky* is a caring, funny, smart 12-year-old boy who is full of energy and is hoping for a warm and loving home in the Inner West of Sydney. Ricky* absolutely loves NRL and has recently taken a huge interest in his fitness – going to the local park for running and circuit training. He has recently learnt to follow recipes and cooks up a storm. Ricky* takes so much pride in his bedroom. Ricky* enjoys school and sometimes will need some support with his assignments. Ricky* responds positively to a structured but fun environment. *Image and name have been changed to protect child’s identity.
Keeping siblings together in foster care is vital to keep their close bond and connection rather than being split up. Burdekin currently have young teenage siblings who urgently need carers available to offer them a safe and nurturing home.
At The Burdekin Association we know many teenagers are in need of a safe, secure, nurturing home and that many people won’t consider fostering teenagers because of negative misconceptions about them.
Fostering a teenager provides young people with a consistent, nurturing, adult role model at a vital time in their life, allowing them to build up necessary steps to independence.
You do not need to have had your own teenagers or have had experience with teenagers. What you do need to have is an open heart to support young people who need to be loved and protected.
We are looking for individuals from all sorts of backgrounds and experiences, who are single or in a relationship – all are welcome and encouraged to become foster carers.
We acknowledge the Aboriginal people of the Cadigal and Gayamaygal Clans. We acknowledge the Country on which we live, work, and gather as being Aboriginal land.
We acknowledge the lands, waterways and skies that are connected to Aboriginal people. We honour them and pay our deepest respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
We respect their rightful place within our communities, and we value their ancient cultural knowledge and practices.
We deeply respect that this will always be Aboriginal land and we will honour and follow the first peoples’ values in caring for the Country and for preserving their culture.
We deeply value that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the oldest living culture in the world and we will continue to work with their peoples and communities to ensure their cultures endure and remain strong.
