Vulnerable kids shown community support at holiday program

The extended family holiday program is an annual event and is organised by St Mark's church Armidale.

2024 is the third year the program has been held and St Mark's senior pastor Tom Melbourne has noticed a number of return attendees to the program including both children and carers.

"We have a lot of people who return to the program every year, and I think it's slowly grown over time as a result," Mr Melbourne said.

"We are seeing an overwhelmingly positive response to the family holiday program.

"For the parents and for the foster carers both respite and permanent, it gives them a bit of a break, but mostly it's about making connections.

"It offers a chance for the carers and parents to come together and hear some input and ideas on some strategies for looking after vulnerable children and also to make connections with people who are in a similar situation."

"From my perspective, I love that we have people here at the church who are actively seeking to serve the community.

"It's invaluable support, the kids and carers who attend really get a great deal out of it, not just for those few days but in the long term also because of the connections they make and the help they receive."

Hannah Dobos and her husband have been foster carers for nearly 4 years and in that time they have welcomed 23 placements through their home including 15 children in both permanent and in respite care.

She was involved with the organisation of the holiday program and was able to pass on some of her experiences and insights of being a full-time carer to others in the extended family community.

"We had about 40 kids each day, one of the main takeaways was that it was so much fun for us and for the kids who attended," Ms Dobos said.

"Our aim was to provide a space where the opportunity was there for people to make important connections for support and community.

"Those connections are wholly important for people who may perhaps feel somewhat isolated by either being foster carers or who are in foster care or for families who are in vulnerable situations.

"We had a range of different kinds of families in a variety of different living circumstances.

"Probably, half of the kids are in foster care, then we also had kids who are living with uncles or grandparents or other out of home care."

Some of the activities the kids and carers were able to partake in included large games and craft activities as well as swimming events, therapeutic drumming and art therapy, scavenger hunts and various sports.

"The purpose of the holiday program is to be creating opportunities for more support and networks to be made," Ms Dobos said.

"It's one of the big ways that people actually get to know each other for the first time and are creating some bigger networks for support and community."