Category: News

We recently launched a new fundraising initiative called the Barnardos League of Champions, which is a call out to the Australian live streaming and gaming community.

We’re asking them to join our League of Champions and play for us to help generate more awareness and donations for Barnardos. And in doing so, to champion the most crucial cause there is, which is to empower every child in Australia to reach their full potential.

Whether people are playing games, tabletop crafting, streaming their favourite music or ‘just having a conversation’, they can go live to raise funds and increase awareness to support Barnardos.

The Champion’s Challenge is now live.

If you’d like to be our next champion or know someone who might, then we can’t wait to connect.

Come and help us change the game for children. One stream at a time.

To find out more visit leagueofchampions.com.au

Last Wednesday in Warrawong on the south coast of NSW, 25 families graduated from our HIPPY pre-school program.

HIPPY (Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters) empowers parents and carers to be the children’s first teachers. It provides structured, education-focused resources and support through organised playgroups and home-visits by HIPPY tutors, enabling parents to spend more time with their children in activities that enhance cognitive and social/emotional development preparing them for the transition to school.

We wish all our little graduates well as they move onto big school next year, ready to take on the world! As a celebration, we wanted to share this (very sweet) video with you of some of the graduates telling us what their favourite thing about HIPPY was.

Barnardos South Coast Children’s Family Centre offers the HIPPY program free to local families in the Warrawong, Lake Heights, Primbee, Port Kembla, Berkeley, Unanderra and Cringila areas.

HIPPY is now enrolling children who turn 3 before the 31st
July 2024 who still have 2 years left before starting kindergarten.

Last Thursday, the Peter Pan Committee held their well-known Literary Lunch to raise vital funds for Barnardos.

The event raised an astounding $206,000 for our Beyond Barbed Wire program that supports incarcerated mothers and their children. Guests had the opportunity to listen to inspiring author, Trent Dalton, and there was not a single dry eye in the room. The lunch was hosted again this year by one of Australia’s most respected investigative journalists, Kate McClymont AM and guests also heard first-hand about the program and our clients thanks to Barnardos staff, Shiree Talbot.

We want to extend a big thank you to the Peter Pan Committee for their ongoing support of the Beyond Barbed Wire program. Thank you for being champions for children.

Social work runs through my blood and is a real part of my identity.

My name is Kay, and I am the Program Manager of the Temporary Family Care Team at Barnardos Australia.

For as long as I can remember, my parents fostered and adopted children through Barnardos UK so I grew up in a very welcoming, open and caring environment. When my family decided that Australia was the place for us, I was delighted to find a job as a practicing social worker with Barnardos, as it gave me the perfect work-life balance I was looking for. After years of ‘front door’ child protection, I wanted to do something different while still making a difference.

Whilst at Barnardos, I have worked predominantly in the Kinship Care space, where children are placed with other family members or people they know when they can’t live safely at home. This was not unchartered territory for me, as I had previously cared for siblings in the UK- but the support I received then doesn’t come close to the support we give our kin carers in Barnardos. The genuine time, effort and care we extend to our carers builds relationships and strengthens bonds. I remember growing up and seeing social workers come and go whilst never really knowing the children living at our house. It would make me so cross. Being able to build positive relationships with young people and families is what makes this line of work so fulfilling. I have had the privilege of being with some of those young people at their most vulnerable, placement breakdowns, sitting on the bed of a dying parent or waiting for a young person to come out of surgery. My heart swells with pride when I witness children achieving amazing things like getting great grades at school, watching them repair relationships with family members and achieving amazing career goals. The one thing that outweighs all of that is when a young person comes back to the office and leaves messages for me, even though I have moved on to a different role.

I’m so fortunate to work with an amazing team of people, from children, parents, carers, and colleagues. What brings me joy is when we get to be part of a child’s success. I’d like to think that no parent gets up in the morning and thinks they want to make decisions that make their children unsafe.

I love that parents know that when they come to us, they will be fully supported. Difficult conversations may be necessary, but they know that they are hearing the truth and that we care for them and their children. We are always working towards wins, be it to watch parents grow and have their children restored to their care, getting permanency for children whether that be safely returned to their parents or other family members, or a safe place they can permanently call home. Ensuring the children continue to be our focus is what’s most important for me. We know that when safe, the best place for children is with their families to ensure their connection is there. This is so important as this allows them to grow, knowing who they are and who loves them.

Whilst being at Barnardos I have received amazing support and encouragement from leaders to grow professionally and to climb the ‘career ladder’, something I wouldn’t normally seek out. This support has allowed me to progress from Case Manager, Team Leader and now Program Manager. But no matter what role I’m in, I want to continue being part of Barnardos and the values they stand for, by supporting children and their families. I believe I will continue to do that.

My name is Kimberley Johnson, and I’ve been a part of the Cranebrook team for a little over 4 years now. My role in Barnardos has been in reception and administration for the Penrith Children’s Family Centre, and what I enjoy most is that every day brings something new.

One of the things I absolutely love about my job is the people – the clients, the community, and those familiar faces who regularly drop by to say hi. It’s a real privilege to be the first person they meet when they come here. We’ve got a simple philosophy: we provide what people need without asking a lot of questions. That way, we make accessing our services a little less intimidating, especially during tough times when money is tight for everyone.

Before Barnardos, I was in property management, which eventually led to me feeling burned out and reevaluating my career path. I’m grateful that I picked up some invaluable skills during that time – dealing with people, handling tricky situations, and solving problems. All of which I’ve brought with me to Barnardos.

This role has given me the chance to step out of my comfort zone and explore something different. It’s helped me realise that I have a deep passion for working with children and their families.

I’ve called Penrith home for all 30 years of my life. I’ve witnessed the changes in this area and the community. Penrith has grown and developed, and I’m happy to be able to contribute to my community.

At home, it’s me, my husband, and our two furry friends – a Labrador and a Red Cattle Dog. Soon, we’ll be adding another member to our family – a baby on the way! When we do find some free time, we’re out camping, kayaking, going on bushwalks, or just enjoying a good beach trip with the dogs. We never let a warm day, or a great opportunity go to waste.

My hope here at Barnardos is to make a difference, no matter how small, for the families and children who come through our doors. We might not always know their stories or what they’re going through, but offering a non-judgmental, welcoming, and comfortable space can mean the world to someone, even if it’s just for one day.

For those who visit us regularly, being a familiar face who welcomes them into our centre is a little constant that can make a big difference. It’s been an eye-opening part of my role to witness the growth and transformation of some of the families and children who work with our caseworkers and programs, whether over a few weeks or months. It’s truly heartwarming and inspiring.

So, I’m excited to see what the future holds for me, and to keep growing my knowledge and skills. I’m happy to know that I get to make a difference in the lives of the children in our community.

Last week our Barnardos Australia CEO Deirdre Cheers and Head of Knowledge, Outcomes and Research, Dr Robert Urquhart presented at the EuSARF 2023 conference at the University of Sussex (UK).

The European Scientific Association on Residential and Family Care for Children and Adolescents (EuSARF) is a body of researchers focusing on child welfare and protection. The EuSARF board consists of 22 members from 15 European countries and Israel, the United States of America and Canada.

Their presentations “Strengthening practice for children and young people in care – Using our Practice Framework to safeguard child rights” and “Working with evidence in practice to recognise and reduce disadvantage: A collaborative approach to design and implementation of Barnardos Australia’s Outcomes Framework” are available below.

Thanks go to Fiona, Bryce, Matt, Mel, Zvez, Liz, Emma, Matthew, Alana and all our wonderful Beta practitioners and families for their insights and brilliant contributions.

Its so wonderful to see Barnardos sharing our knowledge about how we help children to recover and thrive on the world stage!