Remembering the forgotten children

Christmas Presents for Kids in Care
Inspiring. Hardworking. Dedicated.

Teenagers in residential care are often the forgotten children of the welfare system and may be longing for a foster home.

While they may be desperate for a family of their own, it’s harder to find a foster family able to cope with challenging teenage behaviours.

Jane Padden is doing what she can to ensure that nearly 400 young people feel remembered this Christmas, thanks to her charity Christmas Presents for Kids in Care.

Jane founded Christmas Presents for Kids in Care to ensure they get the thrill of a present that has been specially purchased just for them. They also receive other goodies, including chocolates, pencils, gel pens and a sketchbook.

She works hard to raise money to buy the gifts.

Thanks to her, the number of kids receiving gifts continues to increase, with 301 parcels delivered for Christmas 2019.

While Jane can’t meet the kids because of their circumstances, their carers report the gifts are eagerly anticipated and bring huge smiles to their faces.

“We know that our charity is not going to solve the problems that they are facing,” she says.

“By providing a gift for them on Christmas Day, we want them to know that someone is thinking of them with kindness and love and wishing them the very best life can give them.”

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the three top finalists per Westfield centre each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation. Christmas Presents for Kids in Care will use the funds to buy large quantities of items like headphones, t-shirts and make-up.

For further information on the Westfield Local Heroes program, click here