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
- Volunteer for one of the many programs run by Prison Fellowship Australia https://prisonfellowship.org.au/volunteer/
Share this article:
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.
More from around the region
LIVE MUSIC PROGRAM @ PLANETARY HEALTH DAY
A huge thank you to Blue Mountains Folk for organising our live music program for Planetary Health Day on Saturday 1 March. Come and chill with a day of great music, art (photos of frogs of the BM), coffee and an amazing selection of different plant based foods, talks, demonstrations (like the mobile saw mill), workshops (darning and upcycled fashion), stalls with local produce, native plants, mushroom grow kits and more ... even play some ping pong and outdoor chess or do some hands on Bushcare. This photo is of Max Dalkin, from Crime Show, who`ll be playing at 12 noon.
Please SHARE to get your friends along, and book for the day here (link in profile): bit.ly/42HZ623
Performance times:
10am
Ian Tanner and Rob Thompson
10.40am
Skye Evans
11.20am
We Are From Mars (Ant and Andy Mann)
12.00pm
Max Dalkin
12.40pm
Ellie P
1.25pm
Gilberto Nova
#livemusic #bluemountainsfolk #familyday #chill #planetaryhealth #planetaryhealthday #katoomba #bluemountains
Civil engineer Mark Liebman has worked closely with the Planetary Health Centre to explore ways we can manage water to reduce the impact of severe weather events, from flood to bushfire. At Planetary Health Day on Saturday 1 March he`ll be giving a presentation and tour of the Centre`s Bushfire Sprinkler Demonstration Wall and the prototype of an underground water tank that could be built at the end of flame zone streets around the perimeter of the City to reduce both stormwater and fire damage. Our video of the Bushfire Sprinkler system has already been helping survivors of the Palisades fire in the US prepare for future fire events. In this week`s story for Blackheath Area Local News you can also read about the green roof Mark built on his garden shed to reduce the impact of extreme weather events at his home in Blackheath. You can see all the videos and reserve a place for Mark`s talk at Planetary Health Day here (link in profile):
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/future-proofing-with-community-water-tanks-and-bushfire-sprinkler-systems-tickets-1255928087719
#bushfiresprinklersystem #watertanks #disasterriskreduction #stormwater #bushfire #greenroof #planetaryhealth #katoomba #blackheath #bluemountains #beprepared
Our popular Upcycling Fashion Program has now been running for over a year! Come and check it out at Planetary Health Day on Saturday 1st March. As well, you can build your skills to reduce textile and plastic waste by sewing your own Boomerang Bag with @bbagsbluemtns , joining the Repair Network and learning darning with Elizabeth from @lacebrookstitchery Elizabeth has been studying how people upcycled and mended clothing throughout the centuries. She`ll be demonstrating some basic darning stitches that can be used on woven and knitted garments. She also shares her passion for the timeless crafts of stitchery, crochet, knitting, Victorian lacemaking, and darning skills, through her classes and workshops. You can find out more at www.lacebrookstitchery.com.
NB. There will now be a $10 cost to participate in the Upcycling Fashion Program with pattern maker Sherlie McMillan. Book your place here (link in profile):
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fashion-upcycling-program-on-skillshare-saturdays-tickets-1254329957669
#repair #repairnetwork #upcycledfashion #reducingtextilewaste #reducingplasticwaste #boomerangbags #learntosew #patternmaking #planetaryhealth #planetaryhealthday #katoomba #bluemountains #community
Our homes profoundly influence our lives, our health & the health of the planet. At Planetary Health Day on Saturday 1 March, Kirstie Wulf & Karina Rafailov will share their extensive experience in the session: Building Smarter Using Passive House Design & Natural Building Materials. Kirstie Wulf is the award-winning founder of @shelter.building.design & spoke to a packed room last year about building fire resistant homes with hempcrete. Karina Rafailov is the founder of @earthy_haus & specialises in creating energy-efficient, healthy, & nature-connected spaces.
You can reserve a place for this inspiring presentation here (link in profile):
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/building-smarter-using-passive-house-design-natural-building-materials-tickets-1235896873819
#buildingsmarter #passivhaus #naturalbuildingmaterials #hempcrete #planetaryhealth #planetaryhealthday #katoomba #bluemountains
We are thrilled that the internationally renowned physicist, Professor Emeritus Hans Coster will be joining us for Planetary Health Day to address the question of Life and Energy with his presentation: Evolution and the High Life, but Where to Now?
The options that are there for individuals and communities and society as a whole will be examined. An example of a viable energy system constructed with nickel iron batteries at Middle Earth in the Kanimbla Valley will be briefly presented. But is that approach viable for the larger community?
There is no simple way to address all of the issues. How can individuals operate in this energy environment? How do we maintain a healthy industrial sector? What are the Planetary implications of all this?
Whilst not attempting to provide answers, some food for thought will be presented. If you’d like to attend this presentation, reserve your place here (link in profile): https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/prof-hans-coster-on-life-energy-middle-earth-nickel-iron-batteries-tickets-1235955960549
#energy #life #nickelironbatteries #evolution #science #physics #planetaryhealth #middleearth #planetaryhealthday #katoomba #bluemountains #kanimblavalley #inspiration
Celebrating local innovation we`ll be kicking off Planetary Health Day at 9am on Saturday 1st March with a talk by Lithgow inventor Frank Inzitari. He and his cousin Frank Capomollo were featured on Shark Tank Australia with their invention Fire Halo: a fire-prevention system that cleans your gutters and can keep them flooded with water during bushfires. The product is designed to make it easier to prevent homes catching fire from ember attacks, which are the cause of around 75-80 per cent of bushfire damage to properties. It can also provide redirection of chemicals away from your tank when cleaning your roof or solar panels. If you`d like to find out more reserve your spot here (link in profile): https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/reducing-the-risk-of-ember-attack-with-a-fire-halo-tickets-1250666470079
@firehalo.au @sharktankau #firehalo #bushfire #disasterriskreduction #emberattack #planetaryhealth #planetaryhealthday #bluemountains #lithgow #katoomba
We had a fabulous day at the launch of the Birds of Australia STORYBOX in Springwood yesterday, giving everyone a preview of our Frogs of the Blue Mountains exhibition that will be on display at Planetary Health Day on 1 March. Our exhibition of Birds by Warren Hinder, Merryl Watkins and Holly Kent is now on display at Springwood. Worth checking out! If you`d like to find out more about all the frogs of the Blue Mountains, and come to Planetary Health Day you can register at the link in our profile. #birdsofthebluemountains #frogsofthebluemountains #frogs #birds #bluemountains #springwood #katoomba #planetaryhealth #planetaryhealthday
If you weren`t able to catch our fabulous exhibition of Bird Photography by Warren Hinder, Holly Kent and Merryl Watkins you can now pop down to the Blue Mountains Theatre and Community Hub where they`re on display to complement The Birds of Australia STORYBOX. We`ll be there sharing information about the Planetary Health Centre for the launch today from 10am to 12 noon. Lots happening for the whole family: presentations with the Australian Museum and STUDIO ESEM, WIRES, Wagana Dancers, a replica of Gould`s book in the library, Craft activities, environmental information stalls and more! Come along and say hello.
#planetaryhealth #birdsofaustralia #springwood #bluemountains #birdsofbluemountains
Research is indicating that increasing the number of plant-based meals we eat is better for our health and the health of our planet! A highlight of Planetary Health Day on Saturday 1st March will be the Plant Based Cheese Making Demo & Tasting by Teya from @plantinspired99 For anyone who loves food and cooking, learning new techniques is always exciting! Teya will demonstrate how to make basic artisan cheese, blue vein cheese and a melting mozzarella-type of cheese for your pizzas and warm sandwiches. Reserve your place here for this popular event (link in profile): https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/plant-based-cheese-making-demo-tasting-tickets-1235848188199
#plantinspired #plantbased #plantbasedcheese #planetaryhealth #planetaryhealthdiet #planetaryhealthday #katoomba #bluemountains #planetaryhealthcentre #newcookingtechniques
Timber is one of our most valuable resources but too often, when a tree comes down, people only think of turning it into wood chip or firewood instead of much higher value timber products that can last as long as the tree took to grow! Come along to Planetary Health Day on Saturday 1st March and be inspired by how Michael Trickett can bring his mobile sawmill to you and produce high value timber for building or furniture making. Reserve your spot for Planetary Health Day here (link in profile):
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/planetary-health-day-tickets-1235611640679
#timber #mobilesawmill #planetaryhealth #trees #morethanwoodchip #morethanfirewood #planetaryhealthday #katoomba #bluemountains
Have you been hearing frogs in your yard or neighbourhood? One of the highlights of our upcoming Planetary Health Day on Saturday 1 March is our exhibition of Frogs of the Blue Mountains. We`ll have photos of all the known frogs of the Blue Mountains with links to their calls and we`re thrilled that Britt Mitchell from the @australianmuseum will share her experience as a frog call validator for the Museum`s FrogID project. She will discuss how FrogID has assisted her PhD research: “Australia’s frog species in the Anthropocene – habitat loss, climate change, behaviour, and disease”, the positive impact FrogID is making and how to get involved with this Citizen Science project. If you`d like to hear Britt speak you can reserve a place here (link in profile): https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/frogid-people-powered-frog-conservation-tickets-1235831287649
The photo of the frog below is by Holly Kent and features in the exhibition.
@frogidaus #frogs #treefrogs #frogsofthebluemountains #planetaryhealth #planetaryhealthday #citizenscience #katoomba #bluemountains #familyday
