30 September | 9am to 3pm | FKCANT Office

Foster and Kinship Carers Association NT invites all amazing mums to an exclusive Mother's Day celebration on Friday, 10 May 2024, from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm at Silks Darwin – Private Function Room, Buntine Rd, Fannie Bay NT 0820. The event is a perfect way to celebrate Mother's Day with blooming flowers, delicious food, and fun brain-teasing trivia. Upon arrival, guests will be greeted with beautiful blooms and a beverage. The event will include a beautiful platter lunch featuring a curated selection of culinary delights expertly prepared by Silks Darwin. Guests will also engage in some friendly competition with a captivating trivia session designed to test their general knowledge and share heartwarming facts about motherhood. Prizes will be awarded to the winning teams, and guests can join in on the day and meet new mums! This is an excellent opportunity to connect with fellow mothers in an atmosphere of warmth and camaraderie, foster new friendships, and celebrate the shared journey of motherhood. The RSVP date is Tuesday, 7 May 2024. FKCANT Carer Members are FREE to attend, and non-members are welcome to attend for a small fee of $20. To book tickets, please visit the Mother's Day Event Page. For more information about the event, please contact Rebecca at 1300 352 268 or email media@fkca.org.au .

Multi Award-Winning Director Brenda Matthews, proud Wiradjuri woman, Brings Her Powerful Story to Darwin. Join Foster and Kinship Carers Association NT (FKCANT) and Brenda for a special screening & a reflective discussion on her documentary "The Last Daughter”. Multi-award-winning director, author, and speaker, Brenda Matthews, is set to captivate audiences in Darwin. Foster and Kinship Carers Association NT in partnership with our sponsor Charles Darwin University invites the community to a special screening, book signing and reflective discussion on Brenda’s documentary, "The Last Daughter." Brenda is renowned for her documentary and literary work, "The Last Daughter." This narrative chronicles her personal journey within the child protection system, her experiences of being placed under the care of loving white foster parents, and her eventual reunification with her biological kin. Decades later, she embarked on a quest to locate her former foster family and discover where she truly belongs. "The Last Daughter," allows audiences to see through the lens of an Aboriginal woman with her feet in two worlds; connected to both Black and White Australia. It’s a powerful and personal story of reconciliation, healing, and the importance of maintaining connection to both worlds. We hope this will start conversations and inspire the nation. We feel privileged to welcome Brenda Matthews as our guest and to share her moving story with our community," expressed Amanda Thompson, CEO of Foster and Kinship Carers Association NT. "In 'The Last Daughter,' Brenda's account provides a deep understanding of the journey through grief and loss, exploring themes of attachment, connection, belonging, and identity from the unique perspectives of child in care, foster parents, and biological kin." This acclaimed documentary, recipient of the Social Justice Award 2024, Winner of Best Documentary at the Adelaide Film Festival 2022 and the Best Australian Film at Gold Coast Film Festival 2023. It is nominated for Best Documentary in this year’s prestigious Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Awards (AACTA) and was nominated for Best Director in a Debut Feature Film at the Australian Directors Guild (ADG) Awards 2023. The documentary has gained global acclaim and international recognition awarded the ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) of Santa Barbara Tri-Countries Stand Up Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February 2024. FKCANT is the peak body for foster and kinship carers across the Northern Territory, providing recruitment, support, training, and advocacy services. As the peak body, we represent the voices of foster and kinship carers. We ensure those voices are heard by government and other decision-makers so that carers are supported as they take on one of the most challenging and rewarding roles in our community. It is our role to make sure the out-of-home care sector supports carers and children through their journey together. We assist foster and kinship carers to transform children’s lives, and we work with the wider sector to develop and share best practice. As the peak body, we work to ensure all children and young people in the out-of-home care sector have a positive experience within a loving, nurturing, and stable family. We know and respect the difference this will make to their lives. We seek to create vital change so that the foster care sector in the Northern Territory is the very best it can be. FKCANT are hosting the event at Charles Darwin University, Mal Nairn Auditorium. The event will take place from 8:45 am to 1:00 pm on Friday April 12 and Saturday 13 April 2024. Tickets are available to the public, starting at $25 for general admission, $15 for CDU staff and students, and concession holders, and free admission to Territory Families, Housing and Communities (TFHC) volunteer foster and kinship carers. Tickets can be purchased through https://www.trybooking.com/CPPMQ or FKCANT website www.fkca.org.au/events-and-training. For media inquiries or interview requests with Brenda Matthews, please contact Rebecca Webber at Foster and Kinship Carers Association NT Incorporated on 1300 352 268 or at media@fkca.org.au .

NOFASD Australia, a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing and supporting individuals affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), has launched the FASD Support Group. The support group is designed to provide vital support and resources for carers of individuals with diagnosed or unconfirmed FASD. This free online Support Group is set to start on Wednesday , 28th February , offering a unique opportunity for carers to connect, learn, and share experiences. According to NOFASD Australia, FASD is a permanent condition that can occur when a developing fetus is exposed to alcohol during pregnancy. Individuals with FASD may experience difficulties in areas such as learning, communication, social skills, and behaviour. Caring for individuals with FASD can be challenging and often requires specialised knowledge and skills. The FASD Support Group comprises seven weekly sessions, each professionally facilitated by individuals with lived experience of FASD. This initiative aims to empower carers by enhancing their knowledge of FASD, offering practical strategies for daily life, and fostering a supportive community for mutual understanding and collaboration. During the sessions, carers will have the opportunity to connect with others in similar situations, share their experiences, and learn from each other, leading to improved outcomes for both carers and those they care for. Early registration is advised due to the limited availability of spaces. If you are interested in joining the FASD Support Group, please register by visiting https://www.nofasd.org.au/contact-us/ or call NOFASD’s Helpline: 1 800 860 613 to secure your spot.

In Australia, 7.6% of all children aged 0-14 have some sort of disability, with intellectual and developmental disabilities being the most common. An intellectual impacts children’s ability to learn knowledge and skills, is generally measured by IQ and can be mild to profound. Developmental disabilities can be physical or mental including things like autism. Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities are a particularly vulnerable group with greater caregiving needs. Unfortunately, they are also at an increased risk of experiencing maltreatment. Consequently, many children with intellectual and developmental disabilities are placed into foster/kinship care. Children with disabilities are overrepresented in out-of-home care. Currently there are just over 46,200 children in out-of-home care in Australia. However, the disability status is only known for 63% (~29,100) of these children and of these about 30% (>8,730) are reported as having some sort of disability. This means there is a significant number foster and kinship carers providing care to children with disabilities in Australia. Recently, my colleagues and I went to the research literature in order to get a better understanding of what we know about children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in out-of-home care. Our paper can be accessed here https://www.hindawi.com/journals/hsc/2023/2422367/ What we found was very sad; Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in out-of-home care are an understudied population. In truth, there is very little research regarding their experiences or needs. Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities have increased needs and when their families are not well supported, they may experience maltreatment and require foster/kinship care. There is a lot of research which suggests that foster/kinship carers are not supported in their caregiving role. Not surprisingly, when foster/kinship carers are not well supported when caring for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, placements breakdown. This means there is a large number of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities living in residential care. Foster/kinship carers are not always given accurate information regarding the health and/or disability status of children prior to the children’s placement. This can result in multiple placements for children. Like all children, those with intellectual and developmental disabilities need safe, loving homes. Unfortunately, they are most at risk of not achieving this in their own families and after placement into foster/kinship care. There is a clear need to better support families of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in order to prevent maltreatment and placement into care. There is also an urgent need to better support carers of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. By supporting carers, children have more stable homes and better outcomes (not to mention, happier and healthier carers). If you care providing care to children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, here are a few strategies to help you in your caregiving role: Look after yourself. Self-care is not an option; it should be a priority! Remember, it is not only the child(ren) in care, but the rest of the household who is impacted when the primary caregiver is feeling weary. Caring for yourself will enable you to provide the best quality care and feel the most satisfaction in your caregiving role. Ask for help. Don’t assume the agency/department will say ‘no’ and if they do, ask again. Reach out to the Foster and Kinship Carers Association for support and advice, they may be able to refer you to services. Educate yourself. Learn as much as you can about the children’s disabilities and the services available to them. Also learn all you can about the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) as this can support you and the children. For example, it may fund regularly occupational therapy sessions for the children, which gives you a free hour for a quiet cuppa and some ‘me time’. Look for ways to have your voice heard. It should be noted that we found NO research related to the experiences of foster/kinship carers who provide care to children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We are now planning a program of research that will explore carers experiences. We hope to get a better understanding of both the challenges and rewards associated with providing care to these children so that we can help develop models of support. Remember, some days are easier than others, but every day is worth it. Try to remember to focus on the children, not their disabilities. They need fun, love and safety just like any other child. This article was written and authorised for use by our guest blogger Dr Stacy Blythe - Foster carer and Associate Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University.

We currently have three vacate board positions available at Foster & Kinship Carers Association NT. The board needs to consist of six (6) Registered Carer Members and four (4) Invited Persons. Ideally, we are looking for three Registered Carer Members to reach our board requirements, however we would encourage all interested parties to apply. Each board member holds a position for two years, with half the board being up for nomination each year to allow for continuity and transfer of corporate knowledge. Board responsibilities: Working closely with our CEO, the Board is responsible to: · Set the organisation’s strategic direction with clear goals and objectives · Ensure policies and procedures are in place for effective governance and risk management · Provide adequate resources for growth and sustainability · Bring ideas to help shape the future of our organisation As an inclusive organisation, we value and support diversity and welcome people from all backgrounds and actively encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to apply to ensure voices from across the Territory are represented. Our Board Members are volunteers who support our organisation with their skills, services and expertise. Each are required to attend a minimum of 4 board meetings per year, this can be in-person or via Zoom. These meetings are an important forum to discuss our strategic direction and plan for our organisation’s future. For further information, please contact our CEO, Cheryl Schmidt on 1300 352 268

Every family is unique. Some families are loud and boisterous, with everyone fighting to get a word in edgewise, while others are more private and reserved. Every family has its own way of communicating, and that communication style is an integral part of building healthy relationships, as well as individual self-esteem. Effective communication within a family can strengthen relationships in good times and repair relationships in trying times. Communication can be defined as a way to share information, ideas and emotions between people. Communication requires a minimum of two people; someone to send a message, and someone to receive it. Communication is considered effective when the messages sent, verbally and/or non-verbally, are received and correctly interpreted. Our ability to effectively send, receive and interpret messages begins developing from birth. For example, at one-month-old an infant can notice and perceive facial features, and by three months of age can discriminate between smiles and frowns (1). Our relational experiences during these early exchanges influence our neurological development. According to the Harvard Center on the Developing Child, when an infant sends a message, such as babbling or crying, and an adult responds appropriately, with eye contact or cuddles, healthy neurological connections are built within the brain. Repeated, appropriate exchanges strengthen the infant’s neurological connections. When children do not experience appropriate, responsive relationships early in life, their ability to effectively communicate can be significantly compromised. Generally, our ability to send, receive and interpret messages begins within our family context. The way we communicate within our families can influence all of our relationships and the way we interact with the outside world. Many children who enter the foster care system have difficulty expressing themselves, the messages they send do not always clearly convey their intended meaning. Similarly, these children may also struggle to receive and accurately interpret messages. Effectively communicating with these children can be challenging but is extremely important as it can help facilitate healing, develop attachment and create a sense of belonging. In fact, recent research that suggests that children who feel able to share their feelings with their families are more likely to develop resilience (2). Developing effective communication within foster families can be particularly challenging as some children may have had little opportunity to develop healthy communication skills while others may have learned unhealthy communication skills. 1 – Understand that many children have not learned healthy communication from a very early age. Research has demonstrated that the experience of maltreatment can alter children’s interpretation of facial expressions (3). This can cause them to react defensively to a neutral face as though it was angry, with observers thinking the child is over-reacting. For example, I’ve seen a young person snap “What?” when they walked into a room where someone turned to look at them. Helping children to learn to recognise and interpret facial expressions correctly can help to reduce this misinterpretation. This can be achieved using facial expression flash cards which can be ordered online or making a game out of pulling faces at one another, there are many examples of such games on YouTube 2 – Be present when communicating and be an active listener. There are so many distractions for families these days. Schedules are busy, technology can be interfering, and the need to multi-task can often distract parents when children are trying to communicate. Make an effort to give your children your undivided attention when they are communicating with you. Once the children are finished talking, practice paraphrasing what said and repeat it back to ensure you have understood, this will help avoid miscommunication and help the children feel valued. 3 – Create opportunities to practice communication. Family meals are a wonderful opportunity to for adults to model and children to practice communication skills. Scheduling these regularly can contribute to a sense of safety and stability. Planning activities to guide the conversation during meals can also make them fun, and facilitate attachment. ‘Would you rather’ is an easy conversational game that offers children a choice between two things. For example; “Would you rather be a chicken or a rabbit?” Once the children make a choice, encourage them to provide a reason. This provides interesting insights to individual children and can often result in lots of laughs! There are many sample questions available online or you can make your own up. 4 – Attack the problem, not each other. No family is perfect, disagreements happen from time to time. The way you communicate with your spouse, your own parents and siblings as well as other children in the house will be scrutinised by children, particularly when there are disagreements. Ensure you model discussions that focus on the problem, not the people involved. For example, 5 – Model good communication both inside and outside the family. Whether it be a school teacher, a health care professional, the children’s social worker, an employee at the local grocery store, or another driver on the road, be mindful that the children in your care are watching how you interact with others. When possible, use these interactions as a source of reflection with older children, pointing out what components are good and/or poor communication and brainstorming ways to improve future interactions. If you are the one who is not being a good communicator, own up to it. For example, if you are preoccupied with your smart phone when a child is telling you about their day, stop and acknowledge it. Tell the child, “I’m sorry. I was supposed to be listening to you, but I let myself get distracted and I wasn’t paying attention. Please, try again and tell me about your day, because I really do want to listen.” Developing good communication within families can take time, but is worth the effort. Families with healthy communication develop trust and form strong connections with one another. This creates an atmosphere of safety and a sense of security, which makes all members of the family feel valued and loved. (1) Sauter, D. A. (2017). The nonverbal communication of positive emotions: An emotion family approach. Emotion Review, 9(3), 222-234. (2) Bethell, C., Jones, J., Gombojav, N., Linkenbach, J., & Sege, R. (2019). Positive childhood experiences and adult mental and relational health in a statewide sample: Associations across adverse childhood experiences levels. JAMA pediatrics, 173(11), e193007-e193007. (3) Pfaltz, M. C., Passardi, S., Auschra, B., Fares-Otero, N. E., Schnyder, U., & Peyk, P. (2019). Are you angry at me? Negative interpretations of neutral facial expressions are linked to child maltreatment but not to posttraumatic stress disorder. European journal of psychotraumatology, 10(1), 1682929. This article was written and authorised for use by our guest blogger Dr Stacy Blythe and originally appeared in Foster Families Today