Backpacks 4 Aussie Kids in Innisfail, Queensland | Non-profit organisation

Backpacks 4 Aussie Kids

Locality: Innisfail, Queensland

Phone: +61 401 473 185

Address: 109 Palmerston Drive 4860 Innisfail, QLD, Australia

Website: http://backpacks4aussiekids.org

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• Non-profit organisation
• Community organisation

25.01.2022 Having a child move in, not knowing how long they will stay. Loving, teaching & guiding them. Getting so attached & then possibly watching them leave, sometimes... with only a moments notice; makes you ask why anyone would willingly open themselves up like that to the opportunity of a broken heart. May even sound a little scary to think about & it is. But honestly, it scares me more to know what insecure attachments can produce in children that, by no fault of their own, were removed from their closest connections. A child that doesn’t have secure attachment during their developmental years can experience heartbreaking & possibly lifelong affects. Beyond the pain, the brokenness, the confusion; they can struggle with low self esteem, processing, impulse control, poor coping & social skills. They can experience aggression & high stress levels. They may be clingy, withdrawn or harbor feeling of rejection& these are just SOME of the things we may see. Now I don’t ever want to take away from the fact that the grief foster parents go through is REAL in every way. It really is painful & really confusing & really exhausting. I have been there & the hurt runs so deep that I wasn’t sure if the holes in my heart would ever be healed. But I can say, without a doubt that I would rather keep investing my hole-filled heart & experience any of the residual pain, than a child not having someone show them love with their whole heart. #OneTrustedAdult #ThisIsFosterCare #GetAttached

22.01.2022 You can not compare foster youth to your biological children. We have broken brains, or brains that have been healed, but can rip open old scars if you let them.... Our brains don’t work like your biological children, we don’t have the luxury to say, ‘hey we live in safety now so we can fit into your ideal or normal’. We did not grow in healththis is a big advantage your biological children have had! We can’t forget that they are children with adult wounds. Fosters need something different. You can’t love your foster children like your biological children-you can love them similarly but also uniquely. We need more reassurance, we need more spoken, more affirmation, more consistency. We need more because foster children need repair & new growth. You can’t treat a child that hasn’t had the luxury of unconditional love the same as one who has; & I mean healthy, unconditional love in action. -Laurie Olsen #ChewOnThat #FromTheSource

22.01.2022 As a teacher in a primary school, I was lucky enough to recieve a good amount of professional development around trauma in kids.

17.01.2022 6 schools, 5 caseworkers & 11 different ‘parents’ in 4 years; plus, I haven’t seen my biological family in over 2. I’ve outlasted all of my caseworkers, each on...e has moved on, while I continue to stay stagnant in the system. I’ve been moved because of time restraints, personality differences & for making mistakes that most teenagers do. But unlike most, my parents had the option to put in notice & have me removed. When I finally found a teacher that I could confide in, I moved to the other side of town. Never seeing her again. It used to be hard not to make connections, but overtime it became easier. I’ve learned that everything is always temporary in my world. I’m expected to be grateful for actually living in a home & not a facility at my age; even though I can’t remember the last time someone said they loved meI’m considered lucky. Every time I move, I must conform to new rules, lifestyles, religionswithout questioning a thing. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have a mom that would brush my hair & brag to her friends about my grades; or a protective dad that meets my prom date at the door, lecturing him about being a gentleman. But I don’t let my mind wander too far because I don’t know that I’ll ever get those things, although I secretly want them so badly. I’ll be considered an adult in less than a year & even at 17, my deepest desire is to be adopted & my deepest fear is to age out of the system without a family to call my own. A family who loves me & who welcomes me freely, even when I’ve messed up. I know fostering teenagers is hard & it would be easier not to do itbut being a teenager in foster care is hard & nobody gave me a choice. ~thoughts from a foster youth~ #ThisIsFosterCare

09.01.2022 https://www.theage.com.au//foster-children-are-abandoned-n

08.01.2022 Thank you to the cares

08.01.2022 This week is Child Protection Week. And so I'm reposting a story I wrote two years ago. Please be aware this story contains references to sexual assault and vi...olence. **** I turned 45 this year. What that means, of course, is that I've collected a lot of stories. Recently I was reminded that not all of them are good ones. "Mrs Harding and Mr Harding* - are getting a divorce," my mum told me in the car one morning on the way to school. I didn't know what 'divorce' meant until my mum explained. "How come?" My mum paused. "Well because Mr Harding drinks a lot. And he becomes violent. He hits Mrs Harding." HE HITS MRS HARDING. I looked out the window but my brain couldn't make sense of what I was hearing. When I was in grade four I had a sleepover at my friend Susie's* house and as we sat in her room dressing our Barbies and listening to Blondie, she nervously giggled about her mum's current boyfriend, Jason*. "Sometimes when he's in the shower, Jason calls me in to ask me a question." She made an "ewww" face and we both laughed. I remember feeling confused and scared and not really understanding why a grown-up man would want a kid to see him naked. We were nine. At thirteen when I was in high school there were whispers about the 'quiet girl with the big house' whose dad sexually abused her. I'm not entirely sure I understood what I was being told. I certainly know it never occurred to us to speak up. To tell an adult. It was information none of us knew what to do with and we didn't want to interfere. That same year, unbeknownst to me, Jill* (a close classmate) was being regularly raped by an elderly neighbour. It started with him taking naked photos of her. Jill later confided to me that he threatened to tell her mum that she 'asked for it'. When Jill finally managed to break contact with the man he began turning up at her Saturday job - a newsagent - and insisting on her serving him. She would go home and vomit. Jill struggled with mental health issues including severe self-harm for decades. I visited Jill in hospital after she took a hammer to her own body. Abbey* - a work colleague of mine from my 20s - revealed to me that her father raped her throughout her childhood. And yet on her wedding day she desperately wanted him to walk her down the aisle. She explained to me that she swung between loathing him and desperately wanting his love and approval. From one toxic father to another. One of my male friend's earliest childhood memories is watching his father hold his mother's face over the hot iron. David* spoke of the fear he felt watching his dad chase his mum down the hallway screaming, "I'm gonna kill her!" A few years ago I was the guest speaker at the Queensland Child Protection Week Dinner. It was a great honour to be there in a room of over 370 people who act as our frontline on child protection. There were police officers and detectives, of course, but also members of Brave Hearts, ACT for Kids, The Pyjama Foundation, Your Town, the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disabilities and many more organisations and departments whose staff see things and hear things that would make the rest of us cry ourselves to sleep. These people dedicate their waking hours to keeping our children safe. But the message I took home that night is that these organisations, those people, are not responsible for keeping our kids safe. We are responsible for keeping our children safe. It takes a village to raise a child. It also takes a village to protect one. Authorities will tell you that child abuse and neglect is under-reported. Now take a seat. Because in 2015-2016, child protection authorities received 355,935 reports of child abuse or neglect. One child is suffering abuse or neglect every 12 minutes. What's worrying is that according to ACT for Kids, 1 in 4 Australian adults say they do not feel confident that they could spot the signs of child abuse. And 40% of Australians don't know what to do if they suspect a child is being abused. Australia, we need to learn the signs. And if we suspect a child is being abused, we must report it. Below are the signs of child abuse or neglect. If you suspect a child you know is being emotionally, physically or sexually abused - step up and speak up. Because the truth is, every week is child protection week. It has to be. How to spot the signs A child who has been, or may be experiencing abuse may show behavioural, emotional or physical signs of stress and abuse. Some indicators of child abuse include: " showing wariness and distrust of adults " rocking, sucking or biting excessively " bedwetting or soiling " demanding or aggressive behaviour " sleeping difficulties, often being tired and falling asleep " low self-esteem " difficulty relating to adults and peers " abusing alcohol or drugs " being seemingly accident prone " having broken bones or unexplained bruising, burns or welts in different stages of healing " being unable to explain an injury, or providing explanations that are inconsistent, vague or unbelievable " feeling suicidal or attempting suicide " having difficulty concentrating " being withdrawn or overly obedient " being reluctant to go home " creating stories, poems or artwork about abuse. Some indicators of neglect include: " malnutrition, begging, stealing or hoarding food " poor hygiene, matted hair, dirty skin or body odour " unattended physical or medical problems " comments from a child that no one is home to provide care " being constantly tired " frequent lateness or absence from school " inappropriate clothing, especially inadequate clothing in winter " frequent illness, infections or sores " being left unsupervised for long periods. If you would like to talk to a trained professional please call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or Lifeline on 13 11 14. Every week needs to be Child Protection Week. If you believe a child is in immediate danger call Police on 000.

02.01.2022 Written by a carer! (names have been changed) Today is a happy day! As most of you are aware, for the past 5 weeks, we have had a 'little visitor'. Miss Polly came to us rather unexpectedly and in that time, has planted her little feet into our hearts and family!... Sure, its been a challenge having 3 under 3, but thanks to my awesome friends and my loving kids, we have made it. In fact having 3 has actually almost felt like a new normal. We have found our rythmn and new routine and I think Molly has especially liked having a 'little sister'. And today she goes home!! This is the part of foster care that prevents most people from even considering becoming a foster carer. 'I wouldnt be able to give them back', they tell me! 'Oh, Id get too attached', they say. But for me, this is one of my favourite parts! Why? Because I love seeing families change, hit goals, learn and grow and most of all, be reunited! Polly is of an age where she knows who mum is and she misses her. As much as she has attached to us, she lights up when she sees her mum and loves her because she is mum. I always tell people that it is the role of the foster carer to get attached. When a child comes into care, they need to feel wanted and secure. Some will tell you that if it doesnt hurt when they leave, then you aint doing it right! Will I feel sad when I drive away after taking her home? Yes! I will even shed and tear and have to remind myself when I go to reach for her that she isnt here anymore! But I will also feel happy that in some small way we have helped reunify a mum and her bub and helped them onto the path for a better life! So miss polly....I leave you with enough kisses and hugs to last you a life time. Please know we are so very proud of your beautiful mumma and so very happy for you both. May your life from here on in be filled with lots of fun times, happiness, chocolate and blueberries. Its been a g8 pleasure knowing you and loving you! Love your foster mummy You were never mine, but I am always yours!!