My Forever Family is pushing to recruit more carers in the Murrumbidgee region

My Forever Family is an advocacy group for kids living in out-of-home care and their guardians, whether temporary or permanent, and have been hard at work on a campaign to encourage those on the fence to take the leap and become carers.

It's especially crucial in the Murrumbidgee, with a rate of twelve kids living in out-of-home care for every 1000 people compared to a state average of 9 per 1000.

Michelle Stacpoole, Head of communications and projects at My Forever Family, said that they were needing more carers to ensure that siblings could remain together.

"There is a great need for more carers in the Murrumbidgee region, in particular for groups of siblings. We know that keeping siblings in care creates a stronger bond and more stable placements that lead to better outcomes," Ms Stacpoole said.

"Research has shown that when sibling groups are able to stay together, they're more likely to report better outcomes."

READ MORE

Ms Stacpoole added that the ultimate goal had to be permanency for kids, with too many kids being bounced around between homes for years.

"The key issue here is to achieve permanency. We know that the outcomes for children who bounce around the system are not great - in order to change that situation, we need to help them find stability and permanence."

Ms Stacpoole encouraged anyone interested in becoming a carer to sign up to one of MFF's online information sessions or to get in touch through the website, www.myforeverfamily.org.au.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: