Nowra-based caseworker Kate Child has received one of the top awards at the NSW Government's Child Protection Awards.
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At NSW Parliament on Wendesday, September 9 Kate was presented with an Excellence in Practice Award for making a difference with children, young people and families.
The awards recognise NSW Department of Communities and Justice caseworkers, staff and programs that go above and beyond.
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Kate Child has been working as an after care caseworker for four and a half years, and is the first in NSW to work as a dedicated after care worker.
"I provide support for young people once they leave the care of the minister, so from aged 18-25," she said.
"What I do is really based around what the young people need."
Kate's role helping young-adults is broad - it can involve finding someone accommodation, lending an ear, helping with Centrelink to showing them how to work a mashing machine.
She hopes that other offices across NSW also adopt the model of a dedicated after care caseworker.
"Wollongong have now put on an after care worker following the success of Nowra, but as far as I know there isn't any others," she said.
"It is a bit of my dream to have it rolled out across the state.
"I hope through them recongising that this has been a successful program that expanding it might be an outcome."
The after care role was created after her manager Amanda Jamieson found they could do a better job of supporting those who leave the government's care - by having a dedicated person for young people to ring, rather than having a rotating system at the office.
"When we turn 18 the support from our parents doesn't usually dry up," Kate said.
"We want the kids who are coming out of foster care to have someone."
Kate is dedicated to her role and helping young people.
She has created a homeless cupboard in her office, providing food and sanitary items without questions of judgement and gives away hampers at Christmas.