My first five weeks with Family by Family has seen me go through a huge range of emotions. Excitement has been the first and longest lasting of all of these. I don’t at this stage see this excitement ever leaving me. It is as if I still need to pinch myself that this is reality.
During October the Family by Family team along with our sharing families travelled to Ironbank, in the Adelaide Hills for camp. This 2.5 day camp was an opportunity for sharing families to train and prepare for the link up process with a seeking family.
TACSI's new model for family support, Family by Family, has a lot of news - including new jobs on offer for people who want to help grow and take the program into new areas across Adelaide. (Applications for the jobs close on Monday, 8 August - so visit the Family jobs page to find out about the roles and how to apply). The new jobs will help grow Family by Family in Marion and into a second area, in Playford.
In case you missed Family by Family's appearance on prime time TV.
The full length Family by Family "Doco" is now online.
The full version of this press release (PDF) can be downloaded: Press Release: New Model for family-to-family support launched.
TACSI's first homegrown social innovation project, Family by Family is firmly into the 'build' stage. We wanted to let you know what we've learned so far.
TACSI is looking for a 'business case builder' to help make the case for Family by Family next year and beyond. Family by Family is a new model for family-led support that's showing lots of promise, and we're preparing a business case to expand Family by Family to multiple locations in the next five years. If you have experience compiling, analysing, and writing business cases in the private & social sectors, get in touch. Read about the role, and how to apply here.
Talking about Family by Family to families that have never heard of it was always hard. From the outset we wanted to avoid the stigma of targeted services and make Family by Family something all families could give something to and get something from. But in setting out to appear as something for everyone and by communicating a wide range of offers: free events, family groups, family to family link-ups and a website, what made Family by Family different was getting lost.
A month ago today we were in the Adelaide hills starting our first training camp for 'sharing families' - families looking to work and volunteer for Family by Family. It nearly didn't happen. Families pulled out last minute due to illness and at one point we were down to just two families attending. Later in the week, thanks to Carolyn's powers of persuasion we were up to four families, by the time the camp started back down to three.
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