Please find below part of a letter sent to all clergy today by Tim Curran, Director of CatholicCare.
It’s been a hard couple of years. On the back of the worst drought the country has experienced in living memory, we entered a catastrophic bushfire season. We managed, helped where we could, sent money (even water) and eventually, the fires went out and we began to rebuild. Then a pandemic hit. The vulnerable and elderly started to fall ill and die and fear gripped our communities. Social isolation and financial uncertainty became a reality for many of us as the country began to shut down.
How did we respond? We helped where we could. We socially distanced, checked in on our friends and family over video link and visited our grandparents through glass windows to keep them safe.
This is what we do in the face of hardship, when we learn that our neighbours are struggling. We step in. Time and time again.
A struggle that rarely makes news headlines is that of children and young people in our community who are suffering. Many have been through experiences few of us could begin to fathom and who, without our help, will go through childhood without the love and support of a family.
Children enter care after suffering, often for many years, from abuse and neglect and the impact from this trauma can be lifelong. These children and young people are more likely to end up in the youth justice system and have far poorer education and health outcomes. They will likely enter a cycle of social disadvantage that is difficult to escape. We need to step in. So, what can we do?
There are dozens of children across our Diocese who require foster care. At times these children are housed in emergency motel style accommodation due to the shortage of foster carers.
We are looking for everyday families who might consider taking a child or young person into their home – to love and support them – whether for one or two nights, a few weeks, months or long-term. Is this easy? No, it’s not. Caring for those in need requires you to give of yourself but CatholicCare will be there with you each step of the way.
CatholicCare foster carers receive:
- A financial allowance to assist with the day-to-day needs of the child/young person. This allowance helps to cover day-to-day expenses for the child such as food, clothing, education, travel and leisure activities.
- Comprehensive ongoing training and counselling.
- A dedicated Case Manager and 24/7 support.
- Social functions and events, and more
If you’d like to enquire; please call 02 9481 2600 or email info@catholiccaredbb.org.au