Our Mission
Caring for Carers who Care for Kids​​​
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At Hatch Carers we care for the carers who care for kids. We believe foster and kinship carers are the central agents of change for achieving positive outcomes for children in care. While the OOHC system often focuses solely on children, we recognize that child development and healing happens within the context of relationships—and the caregiver-child bond is key while children are in foster care.
When foster carers feel valued, supported, and equipped, they can provide the stability and nurture children need to thrive. At Hatch Carers, we champion their wellbeing because we know that caring for carers means better outcomes for kids.
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At the heart of our mission is building a community-driven approach to supporting foster carers. By harnessing the power of lived expertise, we aim to transform the OOHC system, offering an independent, expert voice that advocates for carers, equips them with the tools they need, and provides empathetic and practical support.
Our Journey
Established in 2020 by siblings Marcie McGowan and Nathan Andrews, Hatch was founded to address systemic issues in the NSW Out of Home Care (OOHC) system that lead to poor outcomes for foster children. Marcie's 15 years in the NSW OOHC sector and Nathan's expertise in agile project management, honed through his work on the innovative financial software 'Waddle,' uniquely positioned them to tackle these challenges.
Hatch leverages its independent perspective to identify root problems within the system. Using systems mapping, human-centered design, and agile methods, they found that the most influential relationships for foster children are with their carers. They identified a significant gap in support and resources for foster and kinship carers, leading to a theory of change focused on improving carers' wellbeing to sustain their demanding roles.
With no existing sector strategy addressing this crucial issue, Hatch took the initiative to fill this gap, aiming to enhance support and agency for foster carers, ultimately improving outcomes for children in the OOHC system.
Hatch Forum
In 2023, Hatch piloted an online community forum for foster carers, designed as a safe, nurturing space for connection, support, and resources. This initiative provided valuable insights:
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Broken Trust: The relationship between the foster care system and carers is severely strained, operating with minimal trust and rapport.
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Undisclosed Hardships: Carers face greater hardships than anticipated, often withheld from service providers due to fear of punitive consequences.
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Voiceless Carers: Carers are not leaving due to the inherent challenges of fostering high needs children but because they feel unheard and unsupported.
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Recruitment Challenges: Carer recruitment issues are likely linked to these systemic problems, with many carers unable to recommend fostering in good conscience.
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Goodwill and Expertise: Despite these issues, there is significant goodwill and a wealth of expertise within the foster carer community, eager to contribute to solutions if given the opportunity.
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Leveraging Technology for Recruitment and Retention:
Through prototyping a software solution during our foster carer forum pilot, Hatch Carers has gathered valuable user data. This data highlights how we can leverage technology to address carer recruitment and retention needs effectively.
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These insights underscore the urgent need for better support and empowerment of foster carers to address the critical shortage and improve the foster care system.
Hatch Carers Pty Ltd
In June 2024, Hatch officially incorporated as Hatch Carers, adopting a social enterprise business model. With four directors and a growing team of operationalized volunteers, we are committed to expanding our membership and ensuring our resources and community is accessible to all carers in NSW.
Our team brings diverse expertise in OOHC system dynamics, agile product development, and service transformations. Our passionate carer volunteers contribute countless years of lived expertise as kinship and foster carers along with demonstrated professional capabilities in foster carer education, recruitment, support, advocacy, coaching, and therapy.
Our Objectives
With a growing community of platform members and volunteers, and a sophisticated tech platform that is constantly evolving, Hatch Carers has an exciting road map ahead. Our objectives include:
1. Offering membership to all NSW kinship and foster carers
2. Developing a related community platform to attract, prepare and develop future foster and kinship carers
3. Developing a strong, independent voice to advocate for the wellbeing of carers and kids
4. To develop effective and collaborative working relationships with OOHC stakeholders