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What our clients say – a snapshot.

Hear what our young people have to say

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.

This is the survey – Shoutback, we asked, they answered.

Have you ever thought about becoming a Burdekin Foster Carer?

Have you ever thought about becoming a foster carer?

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 are ALL 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.

Please visit our Carer pages to find out more – Becoming a Foster Carer and Live-in Foster Carer FAQ’s.

Have you ever considered becoming a foster carer?

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.

Foster carers needed Inner West, Northern Sydney, Eastern Suburbs and South East Sydney - can you help?

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.

Please call us if you think you can offer a home to a young person

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. 

Learn more about being a foster carer, hear real stories about what it is like to be a foster carer with us

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.

Don’t forget, if you would like more information please give Kerrie on 02 8976 1777 a call, email carer@burdekin.org.au or visit our website to find out more – Becoming a Foster Carer and Live-in Foster Carer FAQ’s.

Mentoring Men Volunteer Initiative

Volunteer with us

We are delighted to have entered into a partnership with Mentoring Men to engage male volunteers into our Volunteer Program for our young people. Mentoring Men is a fantastic local charity providing free long-term, one-on-one life mentoring programs Australia wide.

Volunteering

As many of you already know we are big on collaborations and community partnerships here at Burdekin – we believe that together we can make the world a better place – more so than going it alone.

Volunteers play a huge role in contributing to healthier and more resilient communities. Being a volunteer also has positive gains for the person who volunteers, not just the mentee. Being part of a community, making a difference, having fun as well as learning news skills, gaining confidence and meeting new people are all part of the overall experience.

Common goal

With a common goal of making a positive difference to people in our community our partnership with Mentoring Men makes perfect sense. By working together, by sharing our knowledge, skills and resources, we can share the responsibility for achieving this.

Gender disparity in volunteering

With this collaboration, specifically men will volunteer with us in roles like driving instructor, general maintenance, mentoring, program co-ordination, house angel and tutoring. We know that women tend to volunteer more of their time in Australia so we really welcome this wonderful opportunity.

Possible reasons why men don’t volunteer as much as women:

  • They assume it’s just for women?
  • They feel like they don’t have the skillset?
  • They feel like they don’t have time?
  • They feel like their good intentions might be misinterpreted?

Role Models

The truth is that society is crying out for male role models. Steve Biddulph, Parent Educator, Author and retired Psychologist says: “our schools are filled with kids – especially boys who are ‘under- fathered’ and at considerable risk of going off the rails as a result.”

If you would like to know more about our Volunteer Program please visit our pages: Volunteer and Skilled Volunteers and if you would like to know more about our Mentoring Men Volunteer Engagement Initiative, please contact us.

We take this opportunity to formally invite any men in our community to get in touch with us if you would like to volunteer!

Mentoring Men welcome all enquiries for men interested in becoming a Mentor, if you are interested in becoming a volunteer Mentor with Mentoring Men please take a look at what it’s all about.

Have you ever thought about becoming a Burdekin Foster Carer?

Have you ever thought about becoming a foster carer?

Being a Carer with The Burdekin Association is different from the traditional foster care programs.

We are a community-based non-profit organisation offering foster care to young people in need. Fostering can be undertaken in many ways, in your own home or a rent-free Burdekin property for you and the young person. Singles, couples and families are ALL 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 one of our carer support staff 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.

Please visit our Carer pages to find out more – Becoming a Foster Carer and Live-in Foster Carer FAQ’s.

Learn more about being a foster carer, hear real stories about what it is like to be a foster carer with us

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.

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. 

Have you ever considered becoming a foster carer?

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.

Foster carers needed Inner West, Northern Sydney, Eastern Suburbs and South East Sydney - can you help?

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.

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.

Don’t forget, if you would like more information call one of our carer support staff on 02 8976 1777, email carer@burdekin.org.au or visit our website to find out more – Becoming a Foster Carer and Live-in Foster Carer FAQ’s.

Our Volunteer Program

Would you like to volunteer with The Burdekin Association

The Burdekin Volunteer Program was established in 2020 following numerous expressions of interest to volunteer with Burdekin. The purpose of the Burdekin Volunteer Program to date has been to:

  • identify potential areas where we could benefit most from the work of volunteers;
  • create a volunteer team;
  • identify what skills are required for the volunteer positions;
  • organise a support system for our volunteers;
  • recruitment; and
  • training and induction.

The team

A lot has been going on behind the scenes as we put our team together and focused on the objectives of the Burdekin Volunteer Program.

  • Jill Wrathall is our Volunteer Manager, who throughout the process has helped us to understand what we needed.
  • Kim Backhouse was next to come on board as our Volunteer Co-ordinator.
  • And we also have Kerri Muir as the Northern Beaches Co-ordinator and Renee Harrison as the Inner West Co-ordinator.
Our Volunteer Co-ordinators
Jill Wrathall, Volunteer Manager and Kim Backhouse Volunteer Co-ordinator

The team meet on a regular basis to discuss:

  • the areas of activity that we have highlighted as potential areas for volunteer engagement;
  • volunteer recruitment, induction and training;
  • how the program is progressing;
  • what the problems and solutions are;
  • yearly activities;
  • harnessing the energy and commitment of our team of volunteers.

Current volunteer vacancies

  • driving supervision;
  • mentoring support;
  • coordinating programs;
  • general maintenance;
  • ‘House Angel’ – this role is varied to suit the needs of a particular residence – for example cook.
We are recruiting volunteers in the Northern Beaches and Inner West areas of Sydney.
Maybe you have skills such as driving supervision that you would like to share with young people

Potential vacancies in the future

  • Events
  • Campaigns
  • Admin
  • Sports
  • Companion
  • Teaching
  • Tech

Our Volunteers

We currently have a total of 10 volunteers with another 3 going through the recruitment process and 4 that are on student placements as well as volunteering.

Volunteers should be able to give 2-4 hours per week and live in or near Sydney’s Northern Beaches or Inner West areas.

If you would like more information about our volunteer program please visit our volunteer page and our current vacancies page.

Volunteers are people of all ages and backgrounds and play a significant role in creating a society that we all benefit from directly or indirectly.

Our young people and the community benefit immensely from volunteers.
Volunteers bring immeasurable value to the lives of young people

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.

Aboriginal Flag
Torres Straight Island Flag

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.