We have real children and families with real needs seeking a volunteer for friendship and family support. The following profiles provide information on just some of them.  You don’t have to be a super hero to get involved, you just need to have an interest in people.

Click on your local government area, or one near you to find out about some of the children and families looking for a volunteer in your area. Remember there are also other children and families waiting for a volunteer and new requests are received on a regular basis – contact EFA to find out more.

Banyule / Bayside / Boorondara / Brimbank / Cardinia / Casey / Darebin / Frankston / Glen Eira / Greater Dandenong / Hobson's Bay / Hume / Kingston / Knox / Manningham / Maribrynong / Maroondah / Melbourne / Melton / Monash / Moonee Valley / Moreland / Mornington Peninsula / Nillumbik / Port Phillip / Stonnington / Whitehorse / Whittlesea / Wyndham / Yarra / Yarra Ranges

Name: Derek
Age:  12	Gender:  Male
Child’s Interests:   Baking cakes, swimming, outings, music	Contact requested: Fortnightly on a weekend, for swimming, recreational activities or other outings
Description Derek has an intellectual disability and autism.  He loves swimming, so a volunteer could help him go for a swim, attend lessons or support other recreational activities that encourage him to socialise with other children. Mum and Dad would then be able to enjoy some quality time together.

Name: Sally
Age:  9	Gender:  Female
Child’s Interests:   Spending time outdoors, going the park, visiting the Zoo	Contact requested: 3-4 hours Sundays, fortnightly. Flexible, with a community outings focus
Description:  Sally enjoys social contact and her Mum describes her as a happy child who is sometimes impulsive.  Sally has an intellectual disability and scoliosis.  She is able to walk short distances using a brace and communicates with eye contact and body language. One of 4 children Sally’s family would like to develop a supportive friendship with a female volunteer or a couple who can take Sally on fun outings once a fortnight.

Name: Len
Age: 3	Gender: Male
Child’s Interests:  Likes to play alone and needs assistance with interacting with others.	Contact requested: Weekly or fortnightly visits in the family’s home, preferably on a weekend.
Description:  Len is Vietnamese and lives at home with Mum and two older sisters. Len has a developmental delay and possibly autism.  Whilst Len is affectionate towards his Mum, he needs a volunteer to assist him to develop his communication skills whilst interacting and playing with others.  Having a volunteer will give his Mum some much needed respite time and give his sisters some special time with their Mum.

Name: Candice
Age: 16	Gender: Female
Child’s Interests: Music, Dancing, Water play, shopping and general out and about.	Contact requested: One weekend per month, prefer a couple.
Description: Candice would love any form of community access. Candice’s mother would prefer one weekend per month. Candice has a physical & intellectual disability, as well as other health issues including Scoliosis and epilepsy and requires PEG feeding, for which training is available.

Name: David
Age: 7	Gender: Male
Child’s Interests: Loves being outside, books, balls	Contact requested: One weekend per month
Description: David is a very active 7 year old who loves being outside playing and loves play grounds. David has Cornelia Delange syndrome, he wears hearing aids and has partial blindness.  He requires special PEG feeding, for which training is available.

Name: Danny
Age: 9	Gender:  Male
Child’s Interests:  Swimming, running, bike riding, going to movies, walks, going out for meals or a milk shake, just about anything	Contact requested: Preferably over the weekend for a few hours respite for the family.
Description:  Danny has an intellectual disability and mild autism. He is a happy, active boy with a gentle nature.  Danny is independent with most things but does require some prompting at times. His parents would be delighted for him to form a friendship with a male or female volunteer.

Name: Nick
Age: 17	Gender:  Male
Child’s Interests:   Playing board games, chess, cards, and video games and going to the movies	Contact requested: Contact twice a month. Flexible with a community outings focus.
Description:  Nick is a happy young man with 3 older siblings and would like a volunteer to help him gain some independence. Nick has developmental delay and epilepsy that is now controlled. The family has no local extended family support since their move from interstate.  Nick and his family have been on the waiting list since February 2006, and even though Nick is now growing up, all believe he will benefit enormously from having a volunteer.

Name: Sarah
Age: 12	Gender: Female
Child’s Interests: Music, watching DVD, Horse Riding, Walking	Contact requested: A few hours per week
Description: Sarah is a very happy little girl that enjoys most things, she has Down Syndrome, a heart condition and  impaired hearing.

Name: Sam
Age: 14	Gender: Male
Child’s Interests: Playing games including Battle Field and fighting games.  Like talking to girls.	Contact requested: 2 hours every week on a Sunday morning
Description: Sam is an active young boy with autism.  He is smart, communicates well and is physically healthy.  Some respite time is needed for Sam’s mum to be able to complete some simple daily tasks such as shopping.  Sam’s mum would like a carer who is patient, mature and knowledgeable and is able to answer Sam’s many questions.  She would like a young carer who is able to be more of a companion to Sam

Name: Mark
Age: 9	Gender:  Male
Child’s Interests:   Computer, video’s, basketball	Contact requested: Weekly, weekend or after school contact
Description:   Mark has an intellectual disability and autism.  The family are looking for a volunteer to support Mark to increase his socialisation with others and to encourage Mark to participate in activities.  Mark lives at home with his Mum, Dad and younger brother.  It would be great if a volunteer was able to interact with both boys and, on occasion, spend time with the boys so Mum and Dad can go out for dinner or to a movie.

Sarah
Age: 14	Gender:  Female
Child’s Interests:  Cooking, cricket, basketball, music and dance.	Contact requested: After school or weekends in the family or volunteer home or community outings
Description:   Sarah has an intellectual disability and lives with her mum.  Sarah also has epilepsy and would enjoy doing activities and spending time with a volunteer.   Sarah has a short attention span so she likes to do lots of things for a short period.

Name: Artie
Age: 10	Gender: Male
Child’s Interests: Loves to play ball games and travelling in all vehicles. Likes to watch dvd’s and tv shows.	Contact requested: Weekly or fortnightly visits, in the family home, weekends would be great.
Description: Artie has autism and controlled epilepsy. Artie is a lovely boy who is always smiling but has little verbal communication. Artie lives with his parents and a younger brother who is five years old. Artie’s parents are from Sri Lanka and have no extended family in Australia. Artie’s family would love a volunteer who could spend time with Artie doing activities he enjoys and encourage him to extend his communication.

Name:  Andrew
Age: 5	Gender:  Male
Child’s Interests:  Playing with toys, riding a trike, going to the playground, watching ABC kids.	Contact requested: Weekday (flexible) after 1pm for 3-4 hours weekly or fortnightly.
Description:  Andrew is happy, affectionate and talkative 5 year old with mild autism and a speech delay. He is able to communicate using simple sentences and enjoys chatting. He and his younger sister (3 years) would like to have some fun with a lady volunteer or couple playing games at home or visiting the local park. The family have no extended relatives living in Victoria and would love to develop a lasting friendship with a volunteer.

Name:  David
Age:    11	Gender:  Male
Child’s Interests:  Playing with his siblings, watching videos, board games, cars and visiting the park	Contact requested: Monthly for 3-4 hours on either Sat or Sun (flexible) at the family home & in the community
Description:  A volunteer is needed to provide companionship and friendship to a family with three children.  One of the children, David, has cerebral palsy and walks unaided with splints.  He can be a little shy at first but is a happy and sociable child once acquainted. The family have no relatives of their own living in Melbourne and are hoping to develop a special friendship with a volunteer or volunteer couple who has time to spend with the children (two boys and a girl) either in the home or on outings.

Name: Thao
Age: 9	Gender: Male
Child’s Interests:  Computer games and would like to make friends with children his age	Contact requested: Weekly visits in the family’s home - flexible to suit the volunteer and the family.
Description:  Thao lives at home with his parents and his 11 year old sister.  The family are from Vietnam and speak both Vietnamese and English at home.  Thao understands both languages and speaks clearly. The family would like a volunteer to give them a regular break for a couple of hours a week whilst spending time with Thao and assisting him with learning his school studies such as English, reading, writing and comprehension.

Name: Sam
Age: 6	Gender: Male
Child’s Interests:  TV, DVD’s, watching play school and cartoons, playing with blocks.  Visiting parks.	Contact requested: Weekly visits to the family home and to assist with appointments
Description:  Sam lives with his Mum and older brother Andy who is eight.  They both attend a local primary school.  Sam has an intellectual disability and medical condition that means he has to attend regular medical appointments.  Andy doesn’t have a disability but does not sleep well and this can affect his moods.  Both boys are very active. As Mum is on her own she finds it hard to get to medical appointments with one son and get her other son to school.  The family would appreciate a volunteer to assist the family with attending appointments or give the Mum a regular break.  The family are originally from China, Mum speaks and understands Cantonese/Mandarin well, but only a small amount of English; both boys have a good understanding of English.

Name: Blake
Age: 9	Gender: Male
Child’s Interests:  Trucks, trampolining, outdoors, bike riding.	Contact requested: Weekly or fortnightly visits, in the family home or out in the community.
Description:  Blake is 9 years old and is the second eldest of four boys.  Blake has autism and ADHD and is looking for an active volunteer.  The volunteer could participate in activities with Blake in his home or take him out in the community to participate in activities of his choice – such as trampolining, bike rides, going to a park or playing with trucks.  Blake does not have regular contact with extended family so would value a special friendship with a volunteer whilst giving his family a break.

Name: Sandra
Age: 4	Gender: Female
Child’s Interests:  Exploring things and interact with people.  Sandra is learning to use AUSLAN sign language.	Contact requested: Weekly or fortnightly visits, in the family home.
Description:  Sandra is four years old and has a rare neurological disorder.  This disorder affects Sandra’s hearing and eyesight although she can see.  Sandra has a younger sister, Tamara, who is two and is not affected by this condition.  Sandra lives at home with her parents, although her Dad works long hours.  Sandra’s grandparents also live in the family home but both are ill and cannot assist in the care of Sandra.  A volunteer that knows AUSLAN would be a fantastic support and training can be provided. Due to a lot of family illness Sandra’s mother would love to be able to have a regular break.

Name: Jonathan
Age: 15	Gender: Male
Child’s Interests:  Community outings, catching the tram and visiting McDonalds, reading signs and looking at newspapers.  He likes to travel to the city and look around, playing computer games and watching tv and dvd’s.	Contact requested: Weekly or fortnightly visits on a Saturday or Sunday for a 3-4 hour period.
Description:  Jonathan has an intellectual disability and an unconfirmed diagnosis of autism.  Jonathan lives at home with his Mum and his older sister. Jonathan’s family come from China and Jonathan’s Mum also assists her elderly parents who live nearby. Jonathan is a large strong boy and it would be great to have a couple or a male volunteer to go out on regular activities with him.  Catching a tram into the city would be an activity Jonathan would enjoy on a regular basis, especially if that included visiting McDonalds.

Name: Joseph
Age: 7	Gender: Male
Child’s Interests:  Swimming, ball sports, footy, music and playing the piano	Contact requested: After school hours, school holidays or weekends, grateful for a few hours at a time.
Description:  Jack has ADHD and is a lovely little boy, full of beans with no behaviour issues. Jack’s mum is unwell, and has restricted mobility which has isolated both of them.  Jack has asked for a ‘foster grandma’ to spend special occasions with and share his secrets, but a male or family match would also be ideal and could also provide social opportunities with another adult and respite for Mum.

Name: Helen
Age: 6	Gender: Female
Child’s Interests:  Music, drawing, loves horses, watching video’s, listening to stories, going for a walk	Contact requested: A few hours during the week after school or on weekends
Description:  Helen is very caring with a gentle nature.  She has a developmental delay & autism.  Helen’s mother passed away suddenly leaving Dad to cope with 2 little girls and nurture a family environment. A family match would be ideal, where the girls could become extended members of the family and share special occasions. Dad would be grateful for a volunteer or volunteers to provide support and respite, but most importantly, for Helen to build a bond outside her immediate family.

No profile available but please phone for further information
Stonnington

Name:  Harriet
Age:    2	Gender:  Female
Child’s Interests:   Playing with her dolls, looking at books, the sandpit, music, drawing, outings to the park, loves animals.	Contact requested: A volunteer to become an extended family member and to spend time with all the children.
Description:  Harriet has Arthrogryposis/Scoliosis and hearing loss. The family recently moved from England and have no family supports.

Name: Damien
Age: 9	Gender: Male
Child’s Interests:   Computer games, watching TV, travelling on buses and trains, going to the park.	Contact requested: Fortnightly or monthly  visits for half a day on the weekend (sat or Sun flexible) to take Damien on outings.
Description:  A volunteer is required to provide friendship and support to Damien, who has Autism and developmental delay. Damien is an interactive child who is non-verbal and uses picture cards and sign language to communicate. He loves to take rides on public transport and point out street signs and names for you to say aloud. Damien's family are originally from China and have no extended family living in Australia.

Whittlesea

Name: Annie
Age: 4	Gender: Female
Child’s Interests:   Playing and puzzles. Playing with dolls and toys.	Contact requested: Four hours fortnightly on a weekend would be ideal. A volunteer who is able to drive thier own car would be preferable.
Description:  Annie has developmental delay. She lives in Epping with her 13 year old sister and mother. Annie plays better with adults than with children. She uses single words and Makaton signing. She has a fear of transport noises and tries to run away when she hears them. Annie attends early intervention locally.

Name: Ricky
Age: 9	Gender: Male
Child’s Interests:   Watching sports, playing indoors and outdoors, marbles, Computer games.Swimming.	Contact requested: A volunteer to spend time with Ricky fortnightly on weekends
Description:  Ricky has global developmental delay and uncontrolled epilepsy. He lives in Mernda with his parents and his two older siblings. Ricky loves animals. Both of Ricky's parents work shift work. A volunteer with nursing or epilepsy experience would be preferred.

Name:  Tess and Greg
Age:    Tess - 13 years; Greg – 17 yrs	Gender:  Female and Male
Children’s Interests:  Going on outings, spending time in the park, cooking, craft, picnics, day trips	Contact requested: 4 to 6 hours once a month or every second month on a weekend. Flexible with a community outings focus
Description:  Tess and Greg would love to go on outings together in the company of a supportive volunteer couple or individually with a single volunteer. Tess has an intellectual disability and is described as an easy going and affectionate girl.  Greg has Down Syndrome.  He has an expressive character and enjoys storytelling. Both Tess and Greg live with their adoptive parents.