It’s Foster and Kinship Carer Week and Lutheran Care is acknowledging and celebrating the positive impact our carers have on the lives of children and young people.

One of the ways that Lutheran Care celebrates the contributions that carers make is through our annual Carer Appreciation Event.

Held earlier this year at the Cremorne Hotel in July, Lutheran Care offered carers the choice of a lunch or dinner meal. Both events were well-attended by 90 people in total.

Carers and staff enjoyed a delicious three-course meal, while children and young people were cared for separately at the Unley Community Centre.

Nearby to the delicious luncheon, children and young people engaged in a fun program which included painting plant pots, playing with sensory slime and having a dance party with Claire from Footloose Fun.

Luncheon highlights included hearing from Acting Deputy Chief Executive Darian Shephard-Bayly, who attended on behalf of the Minister and Chief Executive of the Department for Child Protection, and Lisa O’Malley, Lutheran Care’s Foster Carer of the Year. There was also a lucky door prize and an atmospheric buzz in the room as carers reconnected with friends, met new fostering peers and enjoyed their annual thank you dinner tailored just for them.

Foster Carers offering Lutheran Care feedback gave the event 5 stars. One carer said “I loved how the staff generously put their hands up for the crèche service and looked after the kids with awesome interactive activities planned while I could enjoy the event and not have to worry. It might have only seemed like a few hours, but to us foster carers, it’s everything and means a lot. Thank you again.”

Lutheran Care prioritises family events with a core strategy of offering carers, children and young people safe places to gather with safe people, while also strengthening the connections of a carer’s village.

The Carer Appreciation Event is part of Lutheran Care’s celebrations for Foster and Kinship Carer’s Week (8-14 September 2024). For those who couldn’t attend the events this year, all Lutheran Care households received an Appreciation Gift to say thank you for the amazing ways they help children and young people.

Carers were also encouraged to attend one of the many events that the Department for Child Protection is hosting this week in celebration of all Foster and Kinship Carers.

Foster and Kinship Carer’s Week is recognised annually to celebrate the contributions that all carers make to the lives of children and young people.

Thank you to all our carers for being the Village.

Find out more about Foster Care and how you can Be the Village here.