Hello, my name is Tess and I am the Family Engagement Coordinator at Lutheran Care Foster Care in South Australia. I support a team of people that recruit great foster carers that can care for children and young people, plan fun family events for families to connect and enjoy together, and we support families with cultural connections and resources to ensure that children and young people can thrive in their care even when they have a different cultural identity to their carers.
Why are you a CREATE Mate?
I am a CREATE Mate for a few reasons. I believe that every single young person is of immeasurable value, it is the role of caring adults to not just keep children and young people safe but to also offer them opportunities to grow and to amplify their voices, and no one was ever meant to journey life alone.
What’s something you’re passionate about in the care sector? What’s something you’re proud of?
I’m passionate about holding on to hope as an anchor. Hope is believing that the past matters, but it doesn’t define the future, and we all have the capacity to grow (learning to see things differently, understand things differently, do things differently).
“When a flower doesn’t bloom, you don’t try to change the flower but the environment in which it grows.”
I’m very proud to belong to a community (the care sector) of people that believe in this and come to work every day to continually improve the environment for families and young people.
I’m very proud to belong to a community (the care sector) of people that believe in this and come to work every day to continually improve the environment for families and young people.
Everyone’s a bit wacky in their own way…what’s a fun fact about you?
I love the simplicity of camping and my happy place is sitting under the stars around a campfire with good food and good company.
To find out more about becoming a CREATE Mate or to apply to become a Mate please contact your local CREATE office on 1800 655 105 or email create@create.org.au
