We help bring joy to kids who care for a family member

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Lions in Support of CaringKids Charity

At the 2023 National Lions Multiple District Convention at the Gold Coast the β€˜Lions in Support of CaringKids Charity’ project was adopted nationally from 2023-2026.

Lions Clubs across Australia will be bringing more joy to young carers by supporting this project. Lions Clubs across cities and towns are donating funds to create Joy Boxes and raise awareness of young carers.

Lions International President’s AwardThe Lions International President’s Award recognises members who go above and beyond in their service – those who lead by example, strengthen their clubs and communities, and actively support the broader goals of Lions Clubs International.

UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell

“Play is a sign that children feel safe and nurtured and loved. They feel somewhat that they can be children even in the midst of great difficulty.”

International Day of Play 11th of June 2026

International Day of Play is a time to celebrate the power of play.

We know young carers put caring ahead of play time.

Help us to reconnect young carers to the joy of childhood.

Support Our Cause

CaringKids helps children burdened with adult responsibilities. These young carers take on tasks such as housework, shopping, cooking, dealing with health professionals and even taking on financial matters.

In order to look after a family member, young carers put caring before study, school and play time. They often have to cope with the financial hardship that goes hand in hand with the cost of caring for a family member living with a disability.

There are over 235,000 children and teenagers in Australia caring for a disabled or chronically ill family member. On average they spend 6 hours a week on caring duties.

Because of their caring commitments, 22% of young carers miss a day of school per week. As a result they are around 1.5 years behind in NAPLAN.

Give to connect Joy Boxes toΒ  young carers. Donations $2 and over are tax-deductible.

CaringKids Joy Boxes

We help to bring joy to children caring for a family member living with a disability by delivering Joy Boxes to young carers. Our Joy Boxes are packed with toys, games and books that not only bring joy, but also allow children to learn and grow.

Just a few dollars can help put a smile on a child’s face.

If you would like young carers to experience the fun and carefree moments that we associate with childhood,Β  a tax-deductible donation of $75 will deliver a Toy Box to a child caring for a family member.

Our Toy Boxes are delivered to the doorstep of young carers across Australia.

January 19 at 4:17pm
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Lions District Governors and District Governor Elects were busy in training whilst their partners (most of them are Lions themselves) were hard at work at the CaringKids toy… See more
Lions District Governors and District Governor Elects were busy in training whilst their partners (most of them are Lions themselves) were hard at work at the CaringKids toy workshop.

This amazing team spent the day sorting and packing Joy Boxes for young carers, children who look after family members with disabilities or chronic illnesses.

There are over 300,000 young carers in Australia.They often miss out on the simple joy of play.

The partners packed boxes filled with toys and games to remind these kids that they are special.

Lions Australia is a CaringKids supporter, donated funds have supported over 3000 young carers to date. Thank you Lions! 🦁

#LionsAustralia #CaringKids #YoungCarers #LionsPartners #WeServe

January 19 at 1:27pm
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December 24
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⭐️ PART 3: Margaret thanks the team at @oconnorspharmacyoatley for hosting the drive and explains why it’s important to recognise and support children caring for family members… See more
⭐️ PART 3: Margaret thanks the team at @oconnorspharmacyoatley for hosting the drive and explains why it’s important to recognise and support children caring for family members living with a disability. Receiving these acts of kindness is an absolute JOY for us at CaringKids as is hearing about the conversations between donors and the care they have take ln to choose and give these beautiful and generously given toys. Thank you to all the toy donors we greatly appreciate you all and to Manar and Sharief for attending our Santa’s Little Helpers Morning Tea and hosting this toy drive in Oatley NSW ✨ #caringkids #spreadthejoy #youngcarers #joybox #lionsaustralia #youngcarer #kindnessmatters #youngcarersupport
December 23
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⭐ PART TWO: Manar and Sharief deliver their @oconnorspharmacyoatley Toy Drive gifts to CaringKids. Manar explains the connection to @oatleylionsclub9 and how their customers and… See more
⭐ PART TWO: Manar and Sharief deliver their @oconnorspharmacyoatley Toy Drive gifts to CaringKids. Manar explains the connection to @oatleylionsclub9 and how their customers and St George Men’s Shed donated gifts and created hand made money boxes and knitted toys to place under their tree πŸŽ„ 🎁 #caringkids #spreadthejoy #youngcarers #joybox #lionsaustralia #youngcarer #kindnessmatters #oatleylions #gratitude
December 23
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🎁 Gift wrapping @westfieldeastgardens today was an absolute JOY. Working with our team we wrapped from 10am to 5pm. πŸ•” We were meant to finish at 2pm… however we were having such… See more
🎁 Gift wrapping @westfieldeastgardens today was an absolute JOY. Working with our team we wrapped from 10am to 5pm. πŸ•” We were meant to finish at 2pm… however we were having such a good time with the customers we stayed open til we ran out of paper! We loved the chance to hear from all the shoppers about Christmas and holiday plans, answering questions about how we support young carers, and also meeting the many children who chose special gifts for their mums and dads. We heard stories about what they would be leaving out for Santa tomorrow night πŸͺ πŸ₯› and learnt how to wrap gifts including hats and basketballs πŸ‘’ πŸ€! So many of you made our day – thank you for giving generously to support kids with caring responsibilities. We appreciate being part of your community. Thank you to all our expert wrappers Kristi and Fay, and from @coogeelions club Margaret, Colin, Shane and Jodi 🦁 for joining us to serve our community. We also discovered who in our team has kept their Xmas gift wrapping skills β€˜under wraps’ until now – the secret is out 🀫 – we will be back next year bigger and better than ever next Christmas 🎁 πŸŽ„ #caringkids #spreadthejoy #youngcarers #joybox #lionsaustralia #kindnessmatters #youngcarersupport #lionsclubofcoogee #coogeelions #westfieldeastgardens
December 23
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⭐ PART 1: Manar and Sharief from @oconnorspharmacyoatley share how the began their first CaringKids TOY DRIVE 🧸 πŸŽ‰ #caringkids #spreadthejoy #youngcarers #joybox #lionsaustralia See more
⭐ PART 1: Manar and Sharief from @oconnorspharmacyoatley share how the began their first CaringKids TOY DRIVE 🧸 πŸŽ‰ #caringkids #spreadthejoy #youngcarers #joybox #lionsaustralia #youngcarer #kindnessmatters #youngcarersupport #oconnorspharmacyoatley
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CaringKids is closed during the school holidays

Our office and toy workshop will be closed from Monday, 22nd December 2025 and will re-open on Monday, 2nd February 2026.

Wishing you all a very happy and festive holiday season!

FAQs: Joy Box donations and referrals

View our FAQs regarding Joy Box donations, referrals and delivery.

Contact Us

Please contact us via the form below.

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CaringKids

Caring Kids Incorporated
ABN 82 206 098 661

If you have questions about our Joy Boxes or would like more information about CaringKids, fill in the Contact Us form and we will get in touch with you soon. We welcome Joy Box feedback from children and families, share your feedback here.

Phone/Email Us

Phone: (02)Β 9247 7990
Email: info@caringkids.org.au

Opening Hours

Hours: By appointment

Our office is closed during school holidays.

Toy Workshop

CaringKids Toy Workshop
Unit 4/ 45-47 Green Street
Banksmeadow NSW 2019

Postal Address

CaringKids
PO Box 91
Edgecliff NSW 2027