More than 9,000 children are currently in out-of-home care* across Victoria.
These children are provided with a safe and nurturing home to grow and thrive. Unfortunately, there is a dire shortage of carers which means there are children in our community who do not have a place to call home.
During September, we run our annual Foster a Future Appeal to raise vital funds for foster care families and to recruit new foster carers. If you’re able to, please consider donating to the Appeal below. Your contribution will make a huge impact on the many children in care across our region.
It takes a village to raise a child and at Meli, we believe we can all play a role in strengthening our community.
If you’re interested in becoming a foster carer, please visit How can I become a Foster Carer? or call us on 03 5226 8900.
* Source: AIHW Child Protection Australia Report 2022-2023.
How will my donation help Foster Carers and children in care?
By donating to the Foster a Future Appeal, you will be supporting Meli’s Foster Carers and brightening the lives of children living in out of home care. Below is a list of how funds will be utilised to make a tangible difference:
$50
would buy two fire blankets for new foster care households
$100
would provide food vouchers for children who are going into emergency care
$300
would allow us to host an outing/experience for children and teens in care
$500
would help provide some respite for our kind and selfless carers
Foster Care Children’s Village
If now isn’t the right time but you would like to get involved in some way, consider joining our Foster Care Children’s Village by volunteering as little as three hours per fortnight. The Foster Care Children’s Village is a literal ‘village’ or support network for Meli’s Out of Home Care families. ‘Villagers’ help with transport to school or daycare, assist with childcare, accompany children to extracurricular activities and become a friend/mentor.
Find out more
“We love it – it’s not just that we’re giving the kids this amazing experience, but we get so much out of it as well,” Sharon said.
“It’s really rewarding to know we had a real impact on their life, even if it was for a short period of time,” Carly said.
Sharon & Carly share their story as Foster Carers
Married couple, Sharon and Carly, had both longed to make a difference with young people. Now, as Foster Carers with Meli, every day brings them a new opportunity to do just that. Initially thinking they couldn’t commit due to full time work commitments, they quickly realised foster care comes in many forms and have now been emergency, respite and short-term carers to children for the last four years.
After experiencing foster care as a young person, Sharon wanted to provide a positive experience for others, so she became a foster carer four years ago. For Carly, it was the desire to give back to children who may not have been as fortunate as she was during her childhood.
Find out more about foster care
There are over 9,000 young Victorians in foster care today.
The most common reasons for children needing foster care are emotional abuse, neglect, physical abuse and sexual abuse.
Victoria could have 27,500 children in out-of-home care by 2026. This is more than any other Australian state or territory.
Foster Carers can make a difference in many ways by providing long-term care, emergency care, short-term care or respite care.
Thank you to our generous and kind-hearted Foster a Future Appeal Partners and Donors:
Platinum Partners
Major Partners
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