Australia's most vulnerable kids
need our help.
Australia - we have a problem. Approximately 49,000 of our children are in foster care / out of home care (OOHC) while only 9,000 foster care households are available; often housing multiple children and under significant stress as they navigate the intricate needs of displaced children. The current system is proving ill equipped to adapt and respond to the growing issues at hand, resulting in many children facing broken placements and insufficient carer resources - ultimately fuelling intergenerational patterns of increased trauma, abuse and institutionalisation.
It's time to evolve the system. Welcome to the hatch project.
What is the hatch project.
The hatch project is a bold new initiative designed to connect, nurture and empower Australia's foster carers; to learn from and engage with them to create the community, platform and resources they need to transform the formative experiences of Australia's most vulnerable children and in turn disrupt intergenerational cycles of trauma, abuse and institutionalization.
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The Ultimate Why
our vision
Our vision is for all children in foster care to thrive. Establishing a safe, secure, and nurturing relationship with their foster carer is paramount to achieving this vision. We know that children who have experienced developmental trauma and abuse require significantly more support from their carers to thrive - compared to those raised in healthier home environments. For them to receive this support we need to envision a world where foster carers have an influential voice and can easily access the resources they need.
our focus
We've designed an online platform with foster carers to address the gap in the current system. Our online community model is an innovative solution that allows carers to access connections and content delivered in line with our vision. A facilitated community engagement element creates avenues for carers to provide feedback about what they need most to meet the needs of the children they care for. We'll use this feedback to create positive change in the sector.
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Our short-term goal is to provide carers with a nurturing and supportive place to visit on their hardest days. Our long-term goal is to establish new and influential pathways of communication from carers back to the sector. Our ultimate goal is to improve carer wellbeing and achieve measurable positive outcomes for children in foster care.
we're calling out for your support.
After extensive systems analysis of the OOHC process, the launch of our online carer community platform and an initial research pilot with Australian carers, the results are in - change is possible, the community is ready and the time to begin is right now.
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We're committed to real change and empowering + maintaining an independent, community driven voice, so as we map the path forward we're calling out for your support to bring the next phase of the hatch project to life.
We are seeking donors to join us in changing the future for these kids
and the community of carers they rely on. Can you help us?
