St.Josephs Cowper Grafton in Grafton, New South Wales, Australia | Community organisation

St.Josephs Cowper Grafton

Locality: Grafton, New South Wales, Australia

Phone: +61 2 6642 3022

Address: Saint Joseph’s Cowper 2460 Grafton, NSW, Australia

Website: http://sjc.org.au

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• Community organisation
• Social service

23.01.2022 Our Vision: To provide quality, professional out-of-home care services to children and young people in out-of-home care in a respectful, caring and nurturing manner whilst creating a sense of belonging to ‘Joey’s’ that transcends time. Our Mission: St Joseph’s Cowper Inc, in the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy, endeavours to empower disadvantaged young people and their families through service, provision, support and advocacy in a safe and nurturing environment.... Our History: St Joseph’s Cowper Homes originated as a work of the Sisters of Mercy in 1913 at Cowper, north of Grafton, where residential care was provided for children largely suffering as a result of poverty, death of a parent, the effects of World War 1 and economic downturn. The facility catered for large numbers of children and was fully staffed by the Sisters of Mercy. In 1972 St Joseph’s was moved to a site at North Street, Grafton with four purpose-built Cottages where residential care was continued by the Sisters of Mercy for children whose family and foster care placements had broken down. Over the years employed carers have increasingly handled the work as the numbers of Sisters available to continue the work diminished, however always under the supervision and ethos of the Mercy spirit. In 1997 St Joseph’s was incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act 1984. Until 2004 a Sister of Mercy was Director of St Joseph’s. From 2005 there has been a lay CEO with the work continuing under the Mercy ministries umbrella. St Joseph’s continues to strive to give witness to the gosfpel values in accordance with the spirit of the founder of the Sisters of Mercy, Catherine McAuley, to care for the disadvantaged children and families in our society. In 2013 we celebrate 100 years of continued care for disadvantaged young people.

21.01.2022 Our Foster care services places young people, who cannot live with their own families with SJC carers in the carer’s homes within the Northern Rivers region. Our carers are recruited, trained and supported in a manner which is consistent with the identified needs of young people. The physical, cultural, social, economic and spiritual needs of the young person are catered for. St Joseph’s Cowper provides 24 hour support to young people in foster care and their carers. Foster c...arers receive a fortnightly allowance with the amount dependant on the age and needs of the individual child in their care. Types of foster care: Full-time care where the young person resides with the carer until they can live independently. Short term or temporary care - where the young person resides with the Foster Carer/s until they can return home or a more suitable placement is located. Respite care - where foster carer/s support the primary carer by having the young person for one weekend a month therefore giving both the full-time carers and the young person ‘respite’. St Joseph’s Cowper carers and staff work closely together to ensure the young person’s needs are met and the carers feel supported. Our Education manager assists with all school matters and offers out of school tutoring to young people in foster care

12.01.2022 St Joseph’s Cowper cares for numerous young people in Residential Care placements including through an Intensive Therapeutic Residential Program. Residential care aims to provide an alternate accommodation option for children and young people who have experienced significant trauma, have complex backgrounds and challenging behaviours. St Joseph’s Cowper residential care services cater for: young people 12-18 years of age (under 12’s with special permission from the Children’s... Guardian) who have challenging and inappropriate behaviours that prevent them living in a group home or foster care placement and who are in need of therapeutic interventions to assist them to heal from their trauma, develop appropriate relationships and skills needed to transition to a foster care setting, restore to family or move to independent living. Placement options are based on the individual needs of each young person in relation to their past experiences and presenting behaviours and needs. The residential programs are based on care, consistency and concern with an emphasis on a child-focussed and trauma- informed approach