{"id":15772,"date":"2025-09-19T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/mtgambiertimes\/?p=15772"},"modified":"2025-09-17T14:09:42","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T04:09:42","slug":"you-can-make-a-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/mtgambiertimes\/news\/you-can-make-a-difference\/","title":{"rendered":"You can make a difference"},"content":{"rendered":"

CARING adults living in regional South Australia can provide children and young people unable to live with their birth parents an opportunity to shine in their own community in a safe and nurturing home.<\/p>\n

This month, ac.care is encouraging country South Australians to consider joining its network of supported foster carers so the state\u2019s most vulnerable babies, children and young people have the safety, care and support they need to thrive.<\/p>\n

The call follows National Child Protection Week (September 7-13) with the theme Every Conversation Matters: Shifting Conversation to Action, highlighting the power of everyday conversations in keeping children and young people safe, connected, and supported.<\/p>\n

ac.care is also celebrating the incredible impact of its foster carer network this month as part of SA Foster and Kinship Carer Week 2025 (September 14-20), acknowledging the difference carers make in the lives of children.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile these events are timely in highlighting the importance of a diverse carer network to provide safe, loving homes for vulnerable children, the reality is we need more carers to continually meet children\u2019s needs,\u201d said ac.care Out Of Home Care executive manager Shalini McCarthy.<\/p>\n

Ms McCarthy encouraged people considering foster care to reach out to the country agency to learn more about how their care can help a child in need shine.<\/p>\n

\u201cLong-term foster carers are vital, but there are varying levels of time and commitment you can provide to support a child or young person,\u201d Ms McCarthy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can commit to anything from respite for weekends, through to emergency, short or long-term care.\u201d<\/p>\n

Important foster carer qualities include a love of children, an ability to understand and respect each child as an individual, as well as the capacity to look after young people in a safe and stable environment.<\/p>\n

Foster carers can be any gender or sexual orientation, single, married, de-facto, blended families or same sex couples and are usually between the ages of 25 and 70 years of age.<\/p>\n

Carers may have children of their own and have various lifestyles involving a range of commitments such as working full-time, part-time, retired or studying.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe support your foster care journey every step of the way with ongoing training and development and personalised support,\u201d Ms McCarthy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou will also become part of our incredible carer network and will connect with other passionate carers through events and opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

To find out more about foster care, call ac.care during business hours on 1300 ACCARE, visit www.accare.org.au<\/a> or follow the agency\u2019s Facebook page to be alerted to upcoming information sessions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CARING adults living in regional South Australia can provide children and young people unable to live with their birth parents an opportunity to shine in their own community in a safe and nurturing home. This month, ac.care is encouraging country South Australians to consider joining its network of supported foster carers so the state\u2019s most […]<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":153,"featured_media":15775,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-15772","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nYou can make a difference - Mt Gambier Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Foster care in South Australia can provide a safe, nurturing home for vulnerable kids. 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