Carers Achievement Recognition
11/09/2024
It was just so fitting to have Bryan Smith and Linda Smith from Qld Foster and Kinship Carers attend the Qld Training Awards with us this evening. While we were finalists in the Premier’s Industry Collaboration Award 2024 for the Foster Carer Accreditation Program the origins of this program date back to 2007, when I still worked in ten Department and Bryan and I discussed how we could retain carers but also encourage those at the end of their time caring to stay with the sector.
It was a moribund policy environment in those days and it would take 6 years and me leaving government to get it to happen. The first Foster and Kinship Carer Cert IV program was a collaboration between Davange Group TAFE QLD South West and FCQ.
Since that time and with the support and assistance of the QFKC Management Committee we supported more than 800 Foster and Kinship Carers to achieve Nationally Recognized Qualifications that lead to employment in our sector. This has increased carer economic participation and the quality of care along with providing fantastic role models to children and young people.
Since that time graduates of the program have gone on to teach the program, which has expanded to deliver to Carers in SA, NT and TAS.
Linda Smith Secretary of QFKC says, “It really is such a significant support you provide for carers, not only in supporting with a qualification it is much more than that, its also about giving opportunity where perhaps carers thoughts their time in the workforce is over, this in turns builds confidence and encourages carers to take up an opportunity where perhaps they believed there was none.”
The DaVange Group and its two RTOs Bradford Institute and Horizon 2 would like to thank all involved with the #QTA2024 for a great event and an opportunity to showcase this 12 year collaboration that grows stronger year on year. Thanks you also to our partner organizations Key Assets and Anglicare Southern Qld.
Foster and Kinship Carers touch the future and build a perpetual trust that doesn’t just raise vulnerable kids into healthy adults. They parent the next generation of parents and for that, they deserve all the recognition and support we can give them. We are humbled by the trust placed in us by the QFKC Management Committee and we thank them for their continued steadfast support.