6 April 2O2O
Media Release
Little Dreamers is excited to officially extend its presence to Queensland and New South Wales regions of South West Sydney and Nepean Blue Mountains as part of the Carer Gateway. Launching Monday, the new federally funded Carer Gateway services will introduce innovative and exciting ways to help carers, including Young Carers, manage their daily challenges, reduce stress and plan for the future.
Little Dreamers CEO Madeleine Buchner OAM said the chance to provide direct services to carers in their own right has been an opportunity too good to miss. Little Dreamers, together with our lead consortium partner Wellways Australia, will deliver In-Person Peer Support to Young Carers aged below 25 years of age across Queensland and New South Wales regions of South West Sydney and Nepean Blue Mountains.
“The In-Person Peer Support Program is a free, facilitated peer support forum specifically designed to assist carers,” said Ms Buchner. “The program provides opportunities to connect with people in similar circumstances, learn from their peers through the sharing of lived experience and experience relief from carer stress through forming personal connections and sharing of personal stories and experiences.”
“Along with the IPPS, Young Carers can also access additional Little Dreamers programs with targeted financial support packages available to them through the Carer Gateway.
“Our programs include a Holiday Program featuring enjoyable, high energy school holiday activities for Young Carers aged up to 13 years old and our Big Dreamers Personal Development Program, which is a six-month program aiming to empower, develop resilience and build new skills for Young Carers approaching their final years of schooling”, said Ms Buchner.
The new Carer Gateway supports accompany the August 2019 announcement from Minister for Families and Social Services, Anne Ruston, which will see an additional $493 million over five years to remodel the country’s carer support services and establish a new network of Carer Gateway Service Providers. The tenders were built from four years of consultation with Australian carer organisations and in collaboration with carers.
A Young Carer is anyone under the age of 25 who provides, or intends to provide, care for a family member with a disability, illness or addiction.
Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions the In-Person Peer Support Program will be delivered online until at least the end of June 2020.
Carers can register for support via the Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737.
ENDS
For media enquiries, please contact emma@littledreamers.org.au.
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About Little Dreamers
As Australia’s leading Young Carer organisation, Little Dreamers works with young people who provide unpaid care for a family member with a disability, illness or addiction across a range of direct support programs. Over the past 10 years, we’ve become a game changing force in the Young Carer space, developing internationally recognised best practice programs and changing the lives of thousands of Young Carers around Australia.
We’re working to improve the quality of life for Young Carers across Australia, with a vision to ensure that every single Young Carer around the world is supported by someone or something by 2030.