Reading Fosters Connection and Trust

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A good news story has unfolded through the work of a Kummara Limited and Infinity Community Solutions Ltd (KICS) Support Worker, Davina and a remarkable family. Over the past eight months, Davina has been supporting a large kinship care family led by a devoted Great Grandparent (GG). With children ranging from prep to high school, the family’s journey showcases the positive power of persistence, trust, and connection.

One of the younger children is a lively and cheeky five-year-old in prep school.  They are a very active child who was recently diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).  The child has been making in-roads at school and enjoying learning. While Davina has been able to quickly build strong relationships with the older siblings, this little one has been slightly hesitant to let her in. But everything changed through the child’s positive experience of the “100 Nights of Reading Challenge.”

With the encouragement of the child’s siblings, the young reader tackled the challenge one story at a time. Reading became more than just a nightly task—it was an opportunity to build routines, foster family bonds, and empower the child to overcome a few challenges.  Particularly those associated with being hyperactive.

Davina’s role with the family has been one of reassurance and consistent quiet support. She worked closely with the GG to identify where support was needed and helped the family establish routines.  Over time Davina has become a trusted figure in the family’s life—a familiar face they could rely on.

For the little one, trust was slow to build, but the breakthrough moment came when the “100 Nights of Reading” challenge was completed. Overjoyed and proud, the child excitedly shared the achievement with Davina.  This was perhaps the most significant moment throughout the last 8 months where they had shared an accomplishment with her.

This act symbolized so much more than completing a reading challenge. It represented the culmination of months of encouragement, inclusion, and gentle persistence. It showed the positive nature of a support worker’s role in not just navigating systems but developing emotional connections and trust.

This story is a beautiful reminder of the importance of relationships, connection and the small but significant milestones that can change lives. A hundred nights of reading may have been the task, but the true outcome was fostering feelings of safety and trust between the child and the KICS Support Worker.

 

KICS Kinship and Foster Care Service (KICS KFC) is a child and young person centred, whole of family focused out of home care service resting on the foundation practice framework of the Family Partnership Model (FPM). This model provides out of home care support while maintaining a whole of family lens focused on wellbeing, attachment and bonding through case management and the application of family led decision making principles. Our team will work collaboratively with the whole family including parents, grandparents, and extended family, to secure a stable and enduring kinship and foster care placement while it is required.