Your Journey Your Choice Support Services

12/06/2026

💙 **Foster & Kinship Carer Week 2026** 💙

This week, we celebrate and acknowledge the incredible foster and kinship carers across Queensland who open their hearts and homes to children and young people in need. Foster and Kinship Carer Week is held from **6–13 June 2026** and recognises the dedication, compassion and resilience of more than 6,200 carer families throughout Queensland. ([Queensland Government][1])

Foster and kinship carers provide stability, safety, love and belonging to children during some of the most challenging times in their lives. Their commitment makes a lasting difference and helps children and young people thrive.

At **Your Journey Your Choice Support Services**, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to every foster and kinship carer for the vital role you play in our communities. Your dedication does not go unnoticed.

💙 Thank you for the care you give.
💙 Thank you for the lives you change.
💙 Thank you for making a difference every day.

Thank You for Changing Lives

Celebrating the incredible foster and kinship carers who provide safety, stability, love and belonging to children and young people across Queensland.

Your compassion, dedication and commitment make a lasting difference every day.

🏡 Safe Homes
❤️ Caring Hearts
🌟 Brighter Futures

6–13 June 2026

With gratitude from
Your Journey Your Choice Support Services

💙👨‍👩‍👧‍👦🏡

For more information about Foster and Kinship Carer Week, visit:
[Queensland Government Foster and Kinship Carer Week](https://www.qld.gov.au/community/caring-child/foster-kinship-care/foster-kinship-carer-week?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

[1]: https://www.qld.gov.au/community/caring-child/foster-kinship-care/foster-kinship-carer-week/about-the-week?utm_source=chatgpt.com "About the week | Community support - Queensland Government"

During Foster and Kinship Carer Week we thank foster and kinship carer families in Queensland.

09/06/2026

🌟 **FREE Circle of Security Parenting Program – Starting July!** 🌟

Parenting doesn't come with a manual, but having the right support can make all the difference. ❤️

The **Circle of Security Parenting Program** is an evidence-based 8-week course designed to help parents and carers better understand their child's emotional needs, strengthen attachment, and build secure, positive relationships.

This program explores:
✅ Understanding your child's emotional world
✅ Recognising and responding to your child's needs
✅ Building secure attachments and stronger connections
✅ Supporting your child's emotional development
✅ Reflecting on how your own experiences may influence parenting

📅 **Starting in July**
⏰ Limited places available – early registration is highly recommended!

This is a fantastic opportunity for parents, carers, foster carers, grandparents and anyone supporting children to gain practical tools and confidence in their parenting journey.

📞 **Bookings Essential**
**Melissa Helou**
☎️ (07) 5529 8253
📧 [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

Please feel free to share with families who may benefit from this wonderful free program.

💛 Every child deserves to feel safe, seen, soothed and secure. 💛

07/06/2026

💚 “A Lifelong Disability Should Not Require Lifelong Justification”

At Your Journey Your Choice Support Services, we see the reality behind disability every single day.

One of the greatest challenges many participants and families face is not their disability itself it’s the constant need to explain, justify and prove its impact to systems over and over again.

📋 For many people living with permanent and significant disabilities, the cycle of reviews, reassessments, functional capacity assessments, funding reviews, change of circumstances applications and appeals can be overwhelming. These processes often require individuals and families to revisit some of the most difficult parts of their lives simply to maintain the supports they already rely on.

👨‍👩‍👧 We see parents being asked to repeatedly recount their child’s struggles.

🧑‍🦽 We see participants with lifelong disabilities having to explain why they continue to need assistance.

💔 We see carers documenting exhaustion, burnout, sleepless nights and crisis situations while still trying to provide care and keep their families afloat.

For many people, these processes can lead to:

⚠️ Increased anxiety and stress

😔 Emotional exhaustion and burnout

😟 Fear of losing essential supports

🤝 Reduced trust in systems designed to help

💭 Re-traumatisation through repeated assessments

📅 Ongoing uncertainty around funding and future planning

Disability does not disappear because a plan ends.

Support needs do not vanish because a review date arrives.

A person should not have to continually prove the existence of a lifelong condition to access the support they need to live safely, independently and with dignity.

🌱 As Support Coordinators and Recovery Coaches, we believe in person-centred, trauma-informed approaches that recognise the human being behind the paperwork.

📄 Every report represents a life.

❤️ Every assessment represents a person.

🏡 Every funding decision impacts real people, real families and real futures.

To every participant, parent, carer, guardian, support worker and advocate navigating the system right now we see your efforts, we acknowledge your exhaustion, and we recognise the strength it takes to keep advocating.

✨ Your voice matters.

✨ Your experiences matter.

✨ Your journey matters.

💚 Your Journey Your Choice Support Services

04/06/2026

At YJYC, we believe every participant deserves quality support, clear communication, and a team that genuinely advocates for their goals.

Unfortunately, we continue to hear concerns from participants, families, and providers about experiences that are falling short of the standard our community deserves.

Some of the issues we regularly encounter include:

• Important risk information and behaviour support needs not being communicated to support teams.
• Delays in responding to phone calls and emails.
• Inaccurate advice regarding NDIS funding, budgets, and service agreements.
• Limited understanding of NDIS funding categories and support item codes.
• Poor communication between participants, providers, families, and support networks.

Support Coordination is about far more than simply linking participants to services. It requires strong communication, sound NDIS knowledge, risk awareness, collaboration, advocacy, and accountability.

When communication is poor or important information is missed, it is participants who are most affected. It can impact safety, service quality, outcomes, and trust across the entire support network.

As Support Coordinators, we have a responsibility to be responsive, informed, professional, and participant-focused. Families and providers rely on us to help navigate complex systems and bring the right people together to achieve meaningful outcomes.

At YJYC, we are committed to raising the standard, strengthening collaboration, and ensuring participants remain at the centre of every decision.

To the many dedicated Support Coordinators who go above and beyond every day thank you. Your professionalism, advocacy, and commitment make a real difference.

For those who view Support Coordination as simply a way to bill hours without delivering genuine value, our participants deserve better.

Together, let’s continue building a sector that prioritises quality, accountability, and positive outcomes for every person we support.

27/05/2026

✨ Thinking about work or employment goals? Sam is here to support you. ✨

Having a job can bring so many positives confidence, purpose, independence, and connection. At Your Journey Your Choice Support Services (YJYC), we’re passionate about helping NDIS participants who want to work to find a job they enjoy and stay in it long-term.

Whether you’re:
✔️ Getting job-ready
✔️ Transitioning from school
✔️ Returning to work after a break
✔️ Exploring what employment could look like for you

We have the supports, guidance, and resources to help you every step of the way at your pace, on your terms.

📩 Reach out to Sam to chat about your employment goals
💙 Because your journey really is your choice

25/05/2026

🌍 International Missing Children’s Day – 25 May 💙

Today we recognise International Missing Children’s Day, a day to raise awareness about missing children, child safety, and the importance of protecting vulnerable people within our communities.

Every child deserves to feel safe, supported and heard. Today also reminds us of the importance of strong support networks, early intervention, community awareness, and safeguarding practices to help protect children and vulnerable individuals.

At Your Journey Your Choice Support Services, we believe in creating safe, inclusive environments where people feel empowered, respected and supported.

💙 Take a moment today to:
✔ Raise awareness
✔ Learn about child safety and safeguarding
✔ Support families impacted by missing children
✔ Promote safe and connected communities

Together, awareness can make a difference.

20/05/2026

💚 May is Mental Health Awareness Month 💚

Mental health matters — and it’s okay to ask for support.

For many people living with disability, mental health challenges can impact daily living, relationships, confidence, and community participation. Support, understanding, and early intervention can make a significant difference.

This month, let’s continue to:
✨ Check in with each other
✨ Encourage open conversations
✨ Reduce stigma around mental health
✨ Recognise that seeking support is a strength, not a weakness
✨ Promote kindness, patience, and understanding

No one should feel they have to navigate mental health challenges alone.

At YJYC, we understand the importance of holistic support and helping people connect with the right services to achieve their goals and improve wellbeing.

If you or someone you know needs support, reach out. 💚



https://yourjourney-yourchoice.com.au/support-services/

28/04/2026

At Your Journey Your Choice Support Services, family means everything to us — and today we’re asking our community to come together for one very brave little girl. 💛

Three-year-old Olivia has recently been diagnosed with Stage 4 Wilms tumour after her mum, Jazmin, trusted her instincts and sought medical help when something didn’t feel right. Since then, Olivia has already endured chemotherapy, a major 9-hour surgery to remove the tumour, her kidney and adrenal gland, and is now preparing for ongoing radiation and further chemotherapy treatment over the coming months.

Despite everything she is facing, Olivia continues to smile, fight, and show incredible strength every single day. ✨

Jazmin has put her studies and business on hold so she can relocate from the Gold Coast to Brisbane and remain by Olivia’s side throughout treatment at the children’s hospital. As you can imagine, this journey has placed enormous emotional and financial pressure on their family.

At YJYC, we know the power of community support during life’s hardest moments. We are asking anyone who is able to please consider donating or sharing Olivia’s fundraiser to help ease some of the stress on this beautiful family while they focus on what matters most Olivia’s healing and recovery. 💕

Every donation, message, and share truly makes a difference.

Please keep Olivia and her family in your thoughts as this brave little girl continues her fight. 🎗️💛

My incredible best friend of 15 years, Jazmin, welcomed her beautiful daughter O… Aleyra Hammond needs your support for Support Olivia’s Fight Against Cancer

28/04/2026

We know many of you have seen the recent updates about changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and it’s completely understandable that it may feel overwhelming or uncertain right now.

We want to reassure you there is nothing to worry about at this stage.

👉 There are no immediate changes to your current plan, funding, or supports. Everything continues as normal.
👉 These are proposed changes, and they still need to go through Parliament before anything becomes official.
👉 Most of the changes won’t begin until late 2026 and beyond, and even then, they will be introduced gradually.

We know there is a lot of information circulating, and not all of it is clear. Please don’t feel like you need to figure this out on your own.

💬 If you’re feeling unsure, stressed, or just want to talk it through we are here for you.

Our role is to support you, guide you, and make sure you understand what’s happening every step of the way. As more information becomes available, we will keep you updated in a way that is clear and easy to understand.

You’re not alone in this we’ve got you 🤍

All the team at YJYC

24/04/2026

There’s been a lot of conversation lately about the NDIS, and it’s understandable that many participants are starting to feel stressed or uncertain.

If that’s you take a moment to remind yourself that you’re doing your best, and that’s enough.

Right now, there is a lot being said, but not everything is clear or confirmed. Many of the changes being talked about are not happening anytime soon, and a lot still needs to be worked out. You are not expected to figure this out on your own.

We also want to acknowledge our Deaf community information can often be shared in ways that feel confusing or hard to follow. You have the right to receive information in a way that is accessible to you, whether that’s through Auslan, clearer language, or taking the time to go through it step by step.

If something doesn’t sit right, feels overwhelming, or simply doesn’t make sense please reach out. You don’t have to carry that stress alone.

We’re here to support you through whatever comes, at your pace, in a way that works for you.

You’re not alone in this.

Your Journey Your Choice Support Services

https://yourjourney-yourchoice.com.au/