April 2002 - Hilary Price

It’s hard to believe that it’s time to check in again! And considering I’ve just lost my update and am having to start again….

HUGE month – phew!! Majors were – the painting of the house, and the completion of our Standards for Approval. These have run concurrently and so, yes, it’s been a BIG month!! Boy did we breathe a huge sigh of relief once we couriered the 250+ page document on all our policies and procedures, management, organisation and financials, to the CYFS Rotorua HQ for assessment. Once (when!) we have approval we will be classified as a Level One Child and Young Persons and their Families service provider under Section 396 of the CYFS Act 1989! Dah dah! What this actually means is that we will be able to open our doors and receive some government funding!! First comments of this official process have been really favourable and we meet with our assessor on 20 May. Watch this space!

So to the paint…paint…paint. The more we painted the happier we got! The fumes were intoxicating! Days and weeks and weekends and we’re just about there. Great to have the funding for the paint from Pub Charity – thank you! The volunteers have been incredible – it’s just SO team here – So team! The pics tell it better than words! Well done everyone.

Another biggie this month was our first training course for Caregivers. 14 hours hands-on – facilitated by Val and Denise, massively experienced social workers from CYFS, who are responsible for training. What stars you are people. (They were a little nervous of the camera – have a look!) With huge hearts and having captured the vision of what we are doing they led us, with much laughter, through the programme. This is the first time this training has been done outside of the official CYFS structure – ground-breaking stuff – all thanks to these fine ladies - Ki kite! Of a potential 18 participants, 14 successfully completed. Further training is now available on an on-going basis and will ensure delivery of a quality best practice service to our children and their families. What is SO exciting about this is it reaffirms to me the power of partnership and the power of the possible. With positive and proactive communication, partnership will bring about new paradigms – please pass on! No, seriously, that’s what gives me such a HUGE buzz as we progress and process.

What else? Have had funding approval from Perry Foundation who have awarded us $10k towards salaries, also Pub Charity has approved funding for awnings and canopies and a sandpit cover. Huge thanks to these trusts.

So here we are – wonder why I’ve popped out of the other end of April looking smudgier, paint-spattered, bleary-eyed, but nevertheless ecstatic, energised, and firing on all cylinders! Chat to you next month!

Hilary

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