Claire Meijnderts, a devoted ‘Mum’ to hundreds of children. (Photo: Julie Nance)
Story by Julie Nance
For two decades Claire Meijnderts of Blaxland has been a beacon of hope for children facing the challenges of having incarcerated parents. As a tireless volunteer leader of Camp for Kids, she has helped transform hundreds of lives and played a pivotal role in steering young people away from the justice system. While raising her family alongside husband Jeff, Claire has been a devoted foster Mum and has worn many other volunteer hats.
Key Points:
There are an estimated 60,000 children under 16 years of age in New South Wales who have experienced parental incarceration; at least one in five are Indigenous children. The children of incarcerated parents face family instability and risks of criminality similar to those of their parents before them. (Source: Children of incarcerated parents: Insights to addressing a growing public health concern in Australia.)
Claire helps break the generational cycle by giving children of prisoners aged 8 to 12 a safe space to have fun, connect with peers in similar situations, and gain positive role models to look up to.
With each passing day at camp, the children grow in confidence. There’s lots of laughter, friendship and newfound hope. As a leader of Camp for Kids, Claire witnesses children gaining a sense of belonging, while learning valuable interpersonal skills and problem-solving alternatives to “hitting out”. Through volunteers like Claire, they discover their stories matter and that healing is possible.
“The benefit of camp is that every child has a similar background; they’ve all got a parent or both parents in prison and that’s unique,” Claire says. “They can’t go to school and talk about it. They carry a lot of shame and guilt that is not theirs to carry. They are in fact victims of their parents’ decisions.”
Camp for Kids is one of the many Christian-based programs funded by Prison Fellowship Australia, a not-for-profit organisation that supports men and women in prison and their families. The camp offers children opportunities for growth and personal development, with lots of fun in the mix. Flying foxes, abseiling, billy cart making, art and craft, cooking and team challenges are just some of the activities on offer.
An abseiling challenge. (Photo supplied)
The journey from a gift to camp
Each year Prison Fellowship Australia invites inmates to take part in Angel Tree, a program that provides birthday and Christmas presents for their children. Last year, with support by churches and input from prisoners, 795 children across NSW received a gift at Christmas, with a note from their incarcerated parent. The children were then invited to take part in Camp for Kids.
Steve Farr, NSW/ACT State Manager for Prison Fellowship Australia, says Claire has been a key player in Camp for Kids’ success. He is currently fundraising to allow the expansion of the program through Regional NSW.
“We want to build on the foundation Claire has laid and amplify her work so more children can attend camp and be mentored,” Steve says. “Claire has the stability and maturity that makes her an amazing ‘camp Mum’.”
Steve says many of the children who attend camp are not used to walking into an environment where they are valued, encouraged and championed. “We aim to connect these kids with mentors who become buddies and have the chance to go on a journey with them,” he says.
Each year the camp is run at a different location, including in the Blue Mountains and on the Central Coast.
Building go-karts is a great team-building activity. (Photo supplied)
Claire says the majority of camp attendees are cared for by grandparents, another relative or are in foster care. They often have a history of broken relationships, being moved from home to home from a young age.
“There’s uncertainty for them around where they’re going to go next or how long they’re going to be there, which then impacts their schooling and their learning ability,” Claire says. “They become more anxious or can’t concentrate because they’re always focusing on those other elements that are more important to them; their stability and security in life.”
Many children have behavioural issues, mirroring violence they have witnessed or experienced themselves. At camp the ratio is two adults per child. Learning how to peacefully deal with issues is an important part of the program. Children listen intently to guest speakers who have travelled down similar, challenging roads in the past.
Claire says she is moved by the stories children share with her and their peers. There are tales of traumatic home lives and matter-of-fact mentions of crimes committed by their parents. Murder, robbery and drug-related offences are part of their vocabulary.
“It’s very humbling that you’re trusted with such a story when you think we only see them four days a year,” Claire says.
You’ve got to be strong for the kids, but I go to bed at night sometimes and I’m bawling. You wonder ‘how can this happen to these kids and their families?’ – Claire Meijnderts
With the camp’s cut-off age of 12, Claire says there is a lot of emotion involved when children are no longer able to attend. To address this, she introduced a Junior Leader program where selected young people are mentored by adults and help run games and other activities.
“Our Junior Leader program started getting a roll on and we had up to 30 junior leaders,” says Claire, who fundraises in her spare time to buy gifts for the kids. “We still get many of those junior leaders back as adult volunteers now.”
Claire says it’s a real joy to hear the choices young people make as they navigate their way into adulthood.
“It’s great to hear they are working now, they’ve got their own place or they’ve got their own children,” she says. “It’s just nice to hear they’re on the straight and narrow because the whole purpose of the camp is to try and break the cycle so that these kids don’t end up following in their parents’ footsteps into that system. We hear very few kids that have been through camp that have actually ended up in the system which is awesome.”
Claire’s daughter Sarah preparing gifts for camp (photo supplied).
As part of the mentorship aspect of the camp, many of the children have kept in touch with Claire over the years. Amongst the former camp attendees is a chef, a hairdresser, a McDonalds manager and a gym fitness worker.
Called to be a foster Mum
Bringing up four children with Jeff in the Blue Mountains, Claire always felt drawn to ads calling for foster carers. Once their own brood was older, with only two left at home, the couple started providing respite care to children with disabilities, for Anglicare. After a year of training, they became qualified foster carers.
“When you get to the teenage years, it’s very hard to find long term foster homes,” Claire says. “Amy joined our family at the age of 12 and she is now 25. One weekend became school holidays, became one school term and then it was permanent.”
Claire admits fostering requires a great deal of patience and comes with a lot of challenges. However, she stresses it is also very rewarding: “I get beautiful Mother’s Day cards from Amy saying ‘you’re the best mum in the world’.”
Dynamic duo Claire and Jeff. (Picture supplied).
Reflecting on a life of volunteering
Claire is a modest person and unless prompted, she wouldn’t have mentioned her other volunteer gigs on top of her Camp for Kids’ commitment.
“My whole life has been volunteering because I haven’t had a career,” she says. “Whether it was running a playgroup, being on the committee at preschool, running the school canteen, I’ve always done that sort of thing. At the moment I visit elderly people in nursing homes with Belong Blue Mountains. There’s always needy people out there that need something. I just feel that’s where I can give.”
Take Action:
Prison Fellowship Australia needs to raise $60,000 to fund a part-time worker to run ‘Extraordinary Lives’ that includes the Camp for Kids program. If you want to help more children of prisoners have a brighter future, donate here, phone Steve Farr on 0418 167 557 or email steve.farr@prisonfellowship.org.au
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
Our video on Falling In Love With Glossy Black Cockatoos is now up on our Planetary Health YouTube channel (sorry, it`s too big to share here but there`s a link in our profile).
Jayden Gunn finishes his presentation by saying:
"Care is like a snowball. The more people you tell the bigger the snowball gets, and the further it goes. And the more we know, the more we care. And the more we know, the more we`re able to help."
The video is of our fabulous Forum on Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo, and includes presentations by Jayden Gunn, BirdLife Australia, Amanda Foxon-Hill from Mid Lachlan Landcare, and STEM teacher Samantha Bowden from Glenbrook Public School. There`s a link with the video on how to register for the Community Tree Planting Day in Goologong on 5 July (and it`s also in our profile). Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCERdF21Ud0&t=13s
Today we`re enjoying eating ripe medlars! Medlars are attractive cold climate fruit trees that were popular in Medieval gardens. They`re one of the few fruits that can be harvested in late Autumn and eaten in early Winter when they`re fully ripe. This is a great time of year to plant them for a future harvest. Check out our short video on how to eat them! #coldclimategardens #ediblegardens #medlars #growyourown #planetaryhealth #bluemountains...
We`re thrilled to share that last night @BlueMountainsCityCouncil`s Planetary Health Centre won the Innovative Leadership Award (Population Under 150K) in the 2025 NSW Local Government Excellence Awards. What a great end to World Environment Day! 🌏 This award celebrates how local government can lead transformative change for a more sustainable future. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard with us to make our vision a reality. You can read more about what we`re doing at our website (link in profile): http://www.bluemountainsplanetaryhealth.com.au/ @ph_alliance #planetaryhealth #worldenvironmentday #localgovernmentleadership #nswlocalgovernmentexcellenceawards...
Blocking out a couple of hours a week to step off the treadmill and give ourselves time to nurture our relationship with the earth and ourselves, is one way to keep our creative spirit and ‘lust for life’ alive. If you haven’t done so yet, one opportunity over the next week is to spend some ‘slow’ time in the 2024 Wynne Prize exhibition at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre before it closes on 15 June. Read more in Katoomba Area Local News here (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/the-2024-wynne-prize/ @bluemountainsculturalcentre @artgalleryofnsw #wynneprize #landscapes #bluemountains #katoomba #artexhibition #planetaryhealth...
Recognising how violence and war impact the health of the planet, the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative has become a member of the Blue Mountains Peace Collective. On Sunday 25th May, we attended a presentation by Dr Keith Suter on Making Peace in the World Today at the Leura Uniting Church. In this powerful presentation Dr Suter questions why we learn about war rather than successful peace negotiations! View the video of his presentation below and read our full story in Katoomba Area Local News here: https://bit.ly/3Fl4WgQ (link in profile)
With an extra day up your sleeve this long weekend, it`s a great opportunity to give nature a hand to regenerate and provide more habitat for our fellow species! Join our fabulous all ages Planetary Health Bushcare Group from 1.30pm and then participate in the Forum on Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo at 4pm, followed by drinks and nibblies! You can also start the day with a fabulous Tai Chi session at 8am. Visit our Planetary Health Pluriversity website to book in and learn more (link in profile): https://bmpluriversity.org/program/
Or ring 0407 437 553 for more information. #planetaryhealth #bushcare #katoomba #bluemountains #glossyblackcockatoos #landcare #biodiversity #habitat #wearenature #togetherwecan...
In this inspiring interview with Medlow Bath resident Amanda Foxon-Hill she talks about her work with Mid Lachlan Landcare, why Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo is so important, and why she loves her work so much! Read the full story in Blackheath Area Local News here: https://blackheathnews.com/connecting-landscapes-for-glossy-black-cockatoos/
Book in for the Growing Connected Landscapes Forum at 4pm this Saturday 7 June here: https://events.humanitix.com/growing-connected-landscapes-for-the-glossy-black-cockatoo Register your interest for the Community Tree Planting Day in Goologong here: https://events.humanitix.com/glossy-black-cockatoo-community-tree-planting-5
In a world that increasingly feels out of balance, we’re thrilled to be offering Saturday morning Tai Chi and Qigong at 8am this Saturday 7 June (and the first Saturday of every month on our Skill Share Saturdays). Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese martial art and moving meditation for body, mind and spirit. It is ideal for learning to keep calm amidst chaos but also has health benefits to increase longevity. Harvard Medical School has reported that this gentle form of exercise can help maintain strength, flexibility, and balance, and could be the perfect activity for the rest of your life. It`s particularly popular in Hong Kong, where residents have one of the highest life expectancies in the world! T`ai-Chi has also been found to improve brain function (like memory and mental flexibility) faster than other exercise and, in a recent study, comparing T`aiChi to brisk walking, the martial art was found to be significantly better at reducing blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease, like blood sugar levels and cholesterol. If you’d like to try it out, you can reserve your spot here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/3FxWPgR
Learn how to Grow Connected Landscapes for the magnificent Glossy Black Cockatoo at 4pm on Saturday 7th June. In our first Planetary Health Forum we’ll be hearing from Amanda Foxon-Hill from Mid Lachlan Landcare, Jayden Gunn from Birdlife Australia and Samantha (Pongi) Bowden from Glenbrook Public School, to learn more about the Glossy and how we can all help improve its habit from the Lower Mountains to Central NSW. We’re also launching a Community Tree Planting Day on 5 July in Goologong (near Cowra) to which we’re hoping we’ll get a large group of volunteers to help make a difference for this beautiful bird (and lots of other species as well!)
Habitat connectivity is essential if species are to adapt and overcome the challenges posed by our changing climate.
Join us as we imagine life as a Glossy Black Cockatoo. We`ll make our way through the temperate eucalypt forests of Dharug & Gundungurra land here in the Blue Mountains before leaving the Great Dividing Range for the Wheat & Sheep belt of the Central Tablelands. Our journey ends on Wiradjuri Land, North West of Cowra in the dry scleropyhyll forests of the Conimbla & Nangar National Parks, the start of the Western Woodland Way
Jayden Gunn is an adept wildlife photographer, ecologist, and environmental educator, with a deep passion for Australian birdlife. Through his lens, he captures Australia`s unique wildlife, using digital storytelling to connect people with nature in meaningful ways.
Links in profile to book in.
Book for the Forum here: https://bit.ly/43FzamP
Register your interest for the Community Tree Planting Day here: https://bit.ly/3HwYHa5
Watch an interview with Amanda here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77y2jrCzINo&t=52s
Read more about Glenbrook Public Schools work for the Glossy Black here: https://lowermtnslocalnews.com/glossy-black-cockatoos/
Our newsletter is now out! View our video of Dr Keith Suter on "Making Peace in the World Today” and read about Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo and the 2024 Wynne Prize exhibition at the Cultural Centre. You can also book in for our Mushroom Cultivation and Tai Chi workshops, and our Planetary Health Bushcare on Skill Share Saturday, 7 June. And PS. We’re a finalist in the NSW Local Government Excellence Awards. Read the newsletter here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4dEFL5u
Yesterday a delegation from the University of Sydney and the Razak School of Government in Malaysia visited the Planetary Health Centre to exchange experiences on the challenges all our local governments are facing, including adapting to climate change, managing ageing populations, and finding economic opportunities for small councils to support their community`s needs. @rsog_insta #localgovernment #planetaryhealth #disasterriskreduction #systemicchange #councils #malaysia #exchange...
As part of an international project to advance science communication for Planetary Health (SciCoPH), Indonesian science journalists, science communication experts and bioscientists visited the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre to learn more about what we`re doing last month. Read our story in Katoomba Area Local News here: https://bit.ly/43MFUjM (link in profile)
Julie Nance is a community storyteller with the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative. In her coverage of the Lower Mountains area, she brings 30 years’ experience in communications, publishing and journalism.
After specialising in health and social issues as a journalist, Julie led creative teams in the government and not-for-profit sectors including the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, YMCA NSW, Cancer Council NSW and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
Julie is passionate about empowering people with quality information to help them make informed choices.
Julie Nance invited her 82-year-old mum to join her on outings in Lower Mountains parks, after months of being confined to home due to sickness. With fond memories of family picnics growing up, their quality time together in nature gave them both a much-needed lift.
