Open your home to a child

Open your home to a child: we need volunteers to care for children with disabilitiesEvery day hundreds of Victorians are caring for a child with a disability and receive little or no support.

To help these families Baptcare is searching for reliable volunteers who can provide care to a child with a disability in their own home while providing parents with a much needed break.

Care provided can be long term, short term or on a regular basis and can be planned around your lifestyle.  

Volunteers receive ongoing training, receive generous and tax-free reimbursement and 24 hour support.

If you are interested, please take the first step and call our friendly disability team on 9373 3800 or email familyservices@baptcare.org.au for a free information pack.

Why do families need help caring for their child?

Many families who have a child with a disability experience stresses that are specific to the impact of caring for their child. Some of these may be:

  • Extreme tiredness due to the additional physical demands placed on them.
  • A multitude of medical and specialist appointments.
  • Additional domestic tasks due to incontinence or special foods.
  • Limitations on the social and recreational activities they can pursue as a family.
  • Not being able to spend enough time with other children in the family due to the demands of the child with a disability.

Respite for these families enables them to “recharge their batteries” and to better meet the needs of their other children. This in turn supports them in their parenting role with the child with the disability.

Some families are no longer able to provide a full time care. This might be due to a range of circumstances, including but not limited to:

  • Family breakdown
  • Medical reasons
  • High levels of stress

When this happens, a child needs a permanent place to call home. The child’s natural family will remain involved with the child throughout the placement.

Who are the children requiring care?

The children requiring care reside within the Northern and Western metropolitan region of Melbourne.

Like all children requiring care, each of them are individuals with their own set of unique needs, characteristics, behaviours, likes and dislikes.

They come from a range of family backgrounds and also have a variety of disabilities some of which may include behavioural issues, autism, intellectual disabilities and/or physical disabilities.

Baptcare will ensure appropriate matching of the child with the care giver family, considering characteristics, abilities and experience.

What training is provided?

Training aims to equip you with all the skills and information required for your role as a volunteer carer.

Training is tailored to the individual situation as our carers come from a variety of backgrounds with a range of experience. Some of the topics that can be provided through training are:

  • The needs of the children/young people with a disability
  • The issues for parents/families of children with a disability
  • The role of the volunteer carer
  • The essential elements of teamwork in the volunteer care team
  • Confidentiality
  • Duty of care
  • Grief and loss
  • First Aid training is provided

Training uses a variety of tools including input from experienced carers and family service users, case studies and videos. A training manual will be provided.

Volunteer carers also receive child specific training which is an important aspect of disability placements with the natural family providing a critical role in this process.

How do I become a volunteer disability carer?

Contact our friendly disability team to receive a free information booklet on 9373 3800 or email familyservices@baptcare.org.au

Attend an information evening at Baptcare to find out more about the program and ask any questions you may have.


Other volunteer opportunities at Baptcare

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