Welcome to our Summer 2020 edition of We Live Life. In We Live Life we shine the spotlight on individuals making a difference throughout Life Without Barriers
Image: Two participants of our Driver Training Program who have received their licenses thanks to Instructor Max Pedlar (far left) and Instructor Russell Edmunds (far right).
We Live Life provides a snapshot of all the great work happening at the moment and it is packed full of inspiring stories from our clients, carers and staff about what can be achieved when we support people to remove the barriers in their lives.
In this edition we meet three of our foster carers who each have a unique story to tell (page 5 and 6). Belinda is a single carer providing respite care. Terrie is a solo mum to four children who provides short term care and is dedicated to working with families to see children return home. Margaret is 81 years young and has been caring with Life Without Barriers for close to 20 years! We also hear about an innovative early intervention program in Tasmania that is seeing promising results.
Our Intensive Family Engagement Service works in the home with parents at risk of having children removed into care to teach parenting skills and build capacity and emotional resilience (page 9).
We feature a beautiful story about Rhondie Koolatah, from the Cairns region in Queensland who we supported to return home to Kowanyama Country where he was welcomed with a special water blessing and ochre ceremony (page 11).
In 2019 we launched our Annual Report which celebrates the ways in which we have partnered with thousands of people to help them achieve their goals (page 4). In FY 18/19 we supported more than 23,600 people and welcomed over 600 people to our services through the Victorian Government’s divestment of disability services.