Spreading Christmas joy to children in out-of-home care

Christmas can be a difficult time of year for children and young people living in out-of-home care, which includes foster care, kinship care and residential care homes.

Being separated from family during the holidays may be overwhelming and stressful for those who have already experienced trauma. Currently, there are more than 12,000 children in Victoria who are unable to live safely at home due to violence, abuse and neglect.

Berry Street’s Virtual Gift Catalogue, Gifts From The Heart, is a way you can spread joy to a child living in out-of-home care. Purchasing a gift can make someone feel so special and cared for.

Without our Gifts From The Heart, many children wouldn’t receive a Christmas gift. For some, it may be the first or only Christmas gift they receive.

The items in Gifts From The Heart are popular items that children in our care wish for at Christmas. Your donation allows our staff, foster carers and kinship carers to buy exactly the right gift that will best meet the children’s wishes and needs. That means they may buy a puzzle rather than a soft toy if that is what the child in their care would prefer.

With your help, we can make sure all young people in care have a special gift to wake up to on Christmas morning, whether it’s new clothes or a pair of shoes that they really want – something that makes them feel really special.

If you know anybody that is hard to buy for or if you need to find something for your office Kris Kringle, purchasing a gift on someone’s behalf is a great idea. It means you can fulfil your gift giving duties and help a vulnerable child feel loved – all at the same time.

This Christmas, help bring joy to a child who really deserves to feel loved and cared for. By purchasing a Gift From The Heart, you’ll be spreading the magic of Christmas.