Wilma Rawlings, along with her husband Kevin (pictured below) are two of Anglicare Victoria’s most experienced carers. This year the Rawlings celebrate thirty-four years of being foster carers.
Their foster care journey began in 1971 with the Mission to St James and St John, which later formed together in 1997 with St John’s Homes for Boys and Girls and the Mission to the Streets and Lanes to become Anglicare Victoria. “We had three of our own kids, however I was unable to have an extended family so the next step was to foster. We started caring for a baby and it just continued from there,” says Wilma.
Wilma is unsure as to exactly how many children she has cared for over the years: “It is countless. We’ve cared for all ages, from babies to sixteen year olds. We might have had them for three weeks or we might have had them for two nights.”
Although the Rawlings have cared for many children, they have kept in contact with one special child: “One of our daughters is a foster child who came as a baby and never left. She recently moved out of home at the age of twenty-six,” says Wilma.
The Rawlings are moving interstate and did not leave without an emotional farewell from Anglicare’s Eastern Carer Recruitment Team who gathered, along with former foster carers and former workers for a farewell morning tea.
“Typically of Wilma she and Kevin did not want a fuss, but a small group of fifteen people gathered in their home,” says Recruitment worker Cathie Manuel.
“Wilma strongly believes that children who go to live with their family, even for just one day, should feel totally part of their family; this attitude to caring is the foundation between her success as a loving parent and caring advocate for all the children that were in her care,” said Mrs Manuel.
For people who are thinking of becoming foster carers, Wilma says: “You need to be adaptable. We have the ability to care for these kids and help them in great difficulty. It can be really tough at times, however you learn from each placement.”
“Overall, being a foster carer has really enriched our life in more ways than I can even begin to explain,” says Wilma.
Although the Rawlings are taking a break from foster care while moving, they will continue to care as soon as they settle. “To give up fostering isn’t in our book at the moment,” says Wilma.
To find out more about becoming a foster carer, visit http://www.anglicarevic.org.au/foster-care
