Our stories

By our Windsor Child and Family Worker 

I’ve worked with a family with mum in custody at Dillwynia for over two years. When I first met the family, the children were six months, 2 and 4 years old.

Before the pandemic, grandmother Lucy* would bring the kids in to see mum, and I would have the two older boys join me to draw pictures for her to put on her walls.

During the pandemic, visits were cancelled, so I kept in touch with the family with regular phone calls to see how they were going and if I could help.

They received all our Family Connection Packs which the boys really enjoyed and were also part of the Birthday Program and were thrilled to receive gifts from mum to celebrate their special days.

I was speaking with Lucy recently about organising Storytime for the family when Lucy passed on the fantastic news that they had booked their first visit with mum in two years!

I arranged to meet the family at the RAT tent for the visit and help them through the new process, and when the day came, it was terrific for everyone.

Seeing the children’s smiles for the first time in so long was incredibly moving.

They could hardly contain their excitement about seeing mum with the middle child bouncing around with the biggest smile on his face, telling everyone he was going to see his mummy.

This is what it is all about, the children, the ones who have been absent for so long due to this horrible pandemic, who have missed kisses and cuddles with their parents, missed time with them and forging that bond with them.

To witness the joy in their eyes and the smiles on their little faces was truly an honour, and this is why we do the work we do every day to bring these families together, who deserve to be together.

Please donate today and help us bring families together.