Wesley Mission Annual Report 2020 - Flipbook - Page 22
Foster care and adoptions
Providing safe and stable homes
We believe all children deserve to have caring and secure homes.
A leading provider of out-of-home care in NSW, Wesley Dalmar
is devoted to protecting children’s futures and strengthening their
families and communities of support.
Keeping families together
We have every child’s best interests at heart.
And through our intensive family preservation
support program, we help children remain in the
care of their birth families, whenever this is a
safe option.
Families who take part in this program receive
intensive support for three months with 24-hour
access to a caseworker. Following this, they’re
provided with coaching and counselling. This
program operates in Western Sydney and
Northern NSW regions.
Guardianship and adoption
Our goal is to find permanent homes for
children. But when it’s not possible to restore
children to their birth families, children can find
greater permanency through adoption and
guardianship. Wesley Dalmar is currently
seeking accreditation to become an adoption
agency.
Supporting young people leaving
foster care
The journey from childhood to adulthood and
independence is a challenging transition for
anyone, but even more so for young adults
leaving foster care. Thanks to the support of
The Property Industry Foundation and
Lendlease, our four Wesley KickStart houses
gave more young people transitioning out of
foster care, places to call home. Two houses
are supervised by house parents and offers
greater support with the opportunity to
progress toward independence in the second
house, where support is close by.
Lifelong support
We understand life is challenging at times
and we’re committed to continually
supporting adults, who were previously in
foster care, for as long as they need it
through Wesley Dalmar Aftercare. This
program also supports reunions of people
who grew up at Dalmar House in Carlingford,
a different era of care.
In 19/20,
668
the average number of
children supported by
Wesley Dalmar each
night
141
children and their
family members
supported in family
preservation
Assisted
42
Wesley Dalmar provides each child with a personalised
mix of supports they need while they’re in care.
Supported
5,983
visits to family
Wesley Keeping Connected
Research shows that children, who maintain regular contact with their birth
families, thrive better while in foster care and when leaving care, than those
who lose that connection. Our contact supervisors arrange regular visits and
provide safe transport options to strengthen connections with their families.
Educational support
Education is essential to providing lifelong opportunities for children. Our
dedicated education consultants, who are all qualified school teachers, work
with the education system to help children engage at school and overcome
participation barriers.
Wesley Keeping
Connected
698
school-aged children
supported with a
personalised
education plan
Educational
support
Clinical
support
Clinical support
families
with the adoption
process
Finalised
Wraparound support in foster and
kinship care placements
11
adoptions
21
young people in
Wesley KickStart
135
While children in foster care have often experienced trauma, they can greatly
benefit from additional support. When children first come into our care, a
clinical support plan is established based on the child’s needs. Our clinical
support team includes registered psychologists and social workers who can
refer to external specialists including allied health as part of a child’s plan.
Mentoring with Wesley Aunties & Uncles
Having celebrated 45 years in November 2019, Wesley Aunties & Uncles
offers children from disadvantaged homes additional support through
caring, volunteer mentors. Our volunteers provide children with an extended
network of care, guidance and connections. Volunteer mentors undergo
extensive child protection screening.
Wesley Take Charge of Your Life
We assist young people aged 15 to 25 as they transition from foster care to
living independently. The program provides flexible support, including
accommodation assistance, job search and study options, skill development
and financial literacy as well as ongoing links to clinical supports.
439
children received
tailored clinical
support
Mentoring
with Wesley
Aunties &
Uncles
Wesley Take
Charge of
Your Life
207
261
children and
young people
received
mentoring
young people
supported to
transition to
independence
people supported
who’ve left foster care
22
23
