YMCA Sydney

Community Strengthening

Stories from the Community

'Camp Makes Us Feel Like A Family Again'

Monday, 30th May 2011

In NSW alone, 16,000 children are removed from dysfunctional, neglectful or abusive families

Removed from home at a young age due to physical abuse, Jamie, Sam, Kate and Nathan were placed in separate foster homes across the state.

In July, they came to Camp Yarramundi to attend the Siblings Reconnect Program for the week.  The last time they had seen one another before camp was six months prior, for a two hour supervised access visit on Christmas Day.

BJ Davis, Camp Manager, said she had never seen a child so excited to see his siblings.

“Three of the siblings came on separate buses and one was dropped off earlier. The sibling that arrived first was waiting at the bus stop and dancing around. He could barely contain himself, he was so excited. When I asked him what was going on he said they hadn’t seen each other since Christmas Day and that at camp they get the chance to feel like a family again.”

“The farewells on Friday are heartbreaking but you have to remember we are doing this for a really good reason and if no one was offering this program these kids would have no chance to nurture these bonds with their brothers and sisters.”

 BJ Davis- Camp Yarramundi Manager