Can you help Liam?

Posted on 24 June 2021
Kids including Six Year Old ‘Liam’ drive urgent local campaign in Hunter region to find more carer homes

With a growing and urgent need for carers in the Hunter region, My Forever Family NSW (MFF) is driving a new campaign and information session in the region to raise awareness about the critical need for more people to open their homes to care for local children like six year old ‘Liam’, and siblings ‘Ryder’ and ‘Lily’, aged eight and nine.

Australia, 23 June 2021: Six-year-old ‘Liam’ loves kicking around a footy and jumping on the trampoline. He’s great at maths and needs a safe home to live in where can ride his bike. ‘Ryder’ aged 8 loves helping around the house, and his general knowledge on makes and models of cars is amazing. He and his sister ‘Lily’, 9, an avid reader and storyteller, need a family home where they can live together. Liam, Ryder and Lily are some of the children in the Hunter region living in the out of home care system, and urgently need a place to call home.

With 16,160 children in NSW living in out-of-home care the need is great, and locally in the Hunter region, a number of these children need their local community to step in to help and provide care,

Renee Carter, CEO of Adopt Change who operate the My Forever Family NSW program, says it’s important to remember that behind the statistics are real children and young people who need a safe place to call home.

“There are so many kids in the area like Liam, Ryder and Lily. Imagine being six years old and not knowing where you’re going to be sleeping or where your next meal is coming from? Every child needs someone in their corner, supporting them through school, providing them with warm meals and the opportunity to be kids – to play, learn and to thrive,” says Carter.

To encourage more people to be involved in caring for local children like Liam, Ryder and Lily, My Forever Family NSW will be running a free information session in Charlestown on Thursday 24 June. The session will be an opportunity to hear about the process of becoming an authorised carer and ask questions, listen to firsthand experiences from current carers, and meet with some local agencies

“The information session is a way for locals to come and talk with agencies and find out more about caring for kids in the Hunter region,” adds Carter.

Helen Montgomery, a carer, says, “It has been a privilege to become a carer. It has truly enriched our lives. There have been challenges along the way, but I wouldn’t change a thing. There’s nothing more rewarding than stepping into the life of a child who has experienced this trauma and bring hope and stability, watch them develop and progress in a loving and nurturing environment.”

There are many different types of care options available to suit individual and family circumstances, all of which will be covered in the information session. While becoming the full-time carer of a child may not be possible for everyone, options such as part-time care introduce the idea of becoming part of a child’s extended support network for one weekend once a month, or on school holidays.

For all media enquiries or to request an interview, please contact:

Jonathan Sweet

0400 679 329

media@adoptchange.org.au