YMCA Sydney

We build strong people, strong families, strong communities

Reconnecting children separated in Foster care Creating places for people to connect and belong Making healthy lifestyles accessible to all people Developing young people into young leaders Providing rewarding volunteering opportunities Giving families the opportunity to be together

Community Strengthening

Siblings Reconnect Camps

The YMCA’s Siblings Reconnect program brings together separated siblings in out of home care at Camp Yarramundi during the school holidays. Here, through a structured Outdoor Recreation Program, they share new experiences, support each other through challenges and reconnect.

Camp Dates: Every School Holidays
Camp Cost: contact us for details.
Bookings: Phone Camp Yarramundi 1800 024 097

Read why Yarramundi is like home for Sharna and Tayla:
The Real Life Story of Siblings Reconnect

Sharna and Tayla were removed from a neglectful home as toddlers. Horribly, each was also later abused in out of home care. Following numerous short term out of home care placements the girls were separated in Foster Care ... more

More About Siblings Reconnect:

Consider for a moment the incredible bond that exists amongst siblings; perhaps that of your own children, perhaps that of a close friend or family member or even your own growing up. Consider how important that bond would be for children who grow up in dysfunctional, abusive or neglectful families.

In NSW, over 11,000 children are removed from such families and placed in out of home care. Heartbreakingly, too often, siblings in such situations are separated in out of home care. The bonds forged out of supporting one another through difficult times are broken, their support for each other gone, their sense of stability and identity taken away.

These children suffer uncertainty, profound loneliness and isolation; an environment that unfortunately has significant impacts beyond their childhood and into adulthood. Research suggests that these children are among the most disadvantaged in Australia. They experience levels of homelessness, unemployment, school dropout, drug and alcohol abuse, justice system involvement, and early parenthood that is vastly disproportionate to the general youth population.

Research also suggests however that constructive contact with parents, siblings, extended family members, school friends and professionals who are known to, and trusted by the child, collectively contributes to positive identity formation, a child’s perception of security and stability and the development of resilience. Children in out-of-home care who have the chance to reconnect with siblings become emotionally empowered to rise above their circumstances and have a better chance at forging healthy relationships, achieving social maturation, and gaining education, having meaningful careers and adult family lives.

Other Activities

This community is part of Family Programming and Engagement - . Some similar activities offered by YMCA Sydney include:

  • Recreation Relief Camps - The YMCA’s Recreation Relief program provides a small, but invaluable opportunity for families living under extreme financial distress to experience what many of us...
  • PrYme Carers Camps - The YMCA’s PrYme Carers program offers grandparents who are the sole carers of their grandchildren a window of respite, an opportunity to not only share quality...
  • Weekend Escape Camps - The YMCA’s Weekend Escape program offers low income single parents the opportunity to get away with their children and to share new and exciting experiences. The...