The Challenge

Foster and kinship carers are the quiet backbone of the care system — providing stability, safety and love to children who need it most. But in Victoria, many carers were at breaking point.

Carers reported high levels of stress, emotional fatigue, and burnout. Their own wellbeing often came last. Isolation and disconnection were common, especially post-COVID, and many were stepping away from the system altogether.

Carer KaFÉ needed a preventative, human-centred solution to support the people who support our most vulnerable children.

Objectives

• Support the mental health and wellbeing of Victorian carers

• Reduce burnout and increase retention

• Deliver practical, evidence-based tools carers could use immediately

• Create connection, belonging, and a sense of hope

• Provide a flexible, accessible learning model tailored for carers

• Ensure rigour through independent evaluation

The Solution

Carer KaFÉ partnered with Thrive Ability™ / How to Thrive® to deliver the How to Thrive for Individuals (101)program to 150 carers across Victoria.

The program blended self-paced digital learning, live online sessions, face-to-face workshops, a printed workbook, and a supportive learning community — all grounded in the BEACON™ Framework.

Session themes were mapped directly to carer realities: fatigue, boundaries, distress, hope, and compassion. Carers described it as:

“Finally something that’s for us, not just about the children.”

The Impact

Significant Improvements in Wellbeing
University of Melbourne evaluation showed strong wellbeing gains across BEACON domains, including:
+1.19 Optimism | +1.18 Compassion | +1.10 Accountability
+1.06 Engagement | +1.00 Nurture

A Powerful Boost in Hope
Carers went from a hope score of ~0 to +6.7 on average.

“I realised I had lost hope. This course helped me see a future again.”

Stronger Boundaries & Reduced Burnout
Carers learned to say “no” without guilt, reset when overwhelmed, and let go of unrealistic expectations.

Self-Compassion & Permission to Care for Themselves

“Self-care is not selfish — it’s vital. I finally believe that.”

Community, Connection & Belonging

“Being with other carers who ‘get it’ was powerful.”

Practical, Realistic Tools

“Micro-bursts — 5 minutes at a time — changed everything.”

Results

Carers described the program as:

• Safe

• Supportive

• Transformative

• Evidence-based

• Deeply human

“It exceeded every expectation.”

“I didn’t know how much I needed this.”

“It helped my relationships at home as much as my caring role.”

Conclusion

This program wasn’t just helpful — it was transformational.

Carer KaFÉ’s leadership has set a new benchmark for supporting carers across Victoria. The result is a more connected, more hopeful, and more empowered cohort of carers — able to sustain their role and improve outcomes for the children in their care.

With a scalable model, rigorous evaluation, and real human impact, this partnership proves that when carers thrive, so do the systems around them.