Approximately 12wks ago Aleisha’s childhood dream came true when she was offered full time study at NAISDA Dance College in 2025.

We had been excitedly getting ready, writing lists of what she needs to take, what we need to buy and comfortable in the knowledge that financially we would be able to afford to support her to continue chasing her dreams.

That was until Child Safety came for a visit before Christmas and delivered the news that our foster care payment will cease on her 18th birthday (22 Jan 2025). The very payment that we were planning to use to support her in her studies & the payment we were told we’d be getting until she turned 21 or moved out permanently- which ever came first.

Child Safety are using the fact that she will be living onsite at NAISDA in NSW during the study terms to say that she is effectively existing foster care.

This is not fair. There is no place like NAISDA in QLD. It is a residential program. She is only going there to study. She WILL be home every holidays & when she has any periods of sickness or injury. Her home is here with us in QLD.

When we told the Child Safety Officers that she would not be able to live off Abstudy payments alone they told her to eat 2min noodles & work 3 jobs!

Not sure how this will sustain a dancers body, mental health or where she would find the time to work 3 jobs considering her course is full time.

We are gutted! Springing this on us so close to Christmas, so close to her 18th & after we thought everything was all sorted. I’ve made a complaint to the Minister & requested that our case be escalated, yet we still have no outcome and she is due to start down there on the 3 Feb, 2025.

We’ve missed out on applying for scholarships & bursaries due to their timing & thinking we would not need them.

We have had people offer assistance which we are eternally grateful for and Aleisha appreciates tremendously.

She has a long list of items she needs to purchase before starting her studies in 17 days time and we are seeking urgent assistance with this.

Background - Aleisha started dancing at 2yrs of age. It’s remained her passion all these years. Her long term dream is to dance for Bangarra Dance Theatre and studying at NAISDA Dance College in NSW is the next stepping stone to making this dream become a reality. Aleisha was invited down to NAISDA last year to audition in person over 3 days and was notified in November that she had been successful.