_{Image: Jarrod Emeny, Wecare recipient}

A further $900,000 will be invested by icare Foundation in the wecare programme run in partnership with Carers NSW.

The initiative, which came to life in 2016, will enjoy the reinvestment over a period of three years. 

“Through this new investment, the icare Foundation is enabling more family carers to increase their knowledge, resilience, and wellbeing, as they care for loved ones after an injury or diagnosis,” said Carers NSW chief executive Elena Katrakis.

“Some of our carers are as young as five years of age and these children within families experiencing the serious injury of a loved one have the opportunity to gain the vital skills and support they need to adjust to the complexities of caregiving in a positive way.”

The Children and Young People’s Programme is for family members aged five to 18 years who are children or siblings of icare participants and workers, while icare also has its Carer Mentoring Programme for adult family members. Both are part of the wecare initiative.

“Through this new investment we anticipate approximately 140 families and 70 children and young people will go through the wecare programme over the next three years,” noted icare general manager for care innovation and excellence Suzanne Lulham.

“As these family members provide the bedrock of care for so many of icare’s participants, we are very excited about welcoming them to this wonderful programme.”

Lulham added that the telehealth service provision has enabled the continued availability of the wecare programme amid the social distancing restrictions brought about by the coronavirus crisis.