In the end, all it took for Deanne’s family to take the leap into foster caring was a night on the couch with movie star Mark Wahlberg.
“We had talked about it a few times as a family and, funnily enough, we were sitting watching Instant Family one night. When the movie ended my youngest daughter got online and signed us up to be a foster care family,” she said with a laugh.
Anglicare Victoria, the state’s biggest provider of out-of-home care, in partnership with amazing foster carers like Deanne, are this Foster Care Week calling for Victorian households to consider opening their homes and their hearts to a child in need.
Fostering can take many forms from emergency and respite care, short-term placements, to ongoing care arrangements, and whether you’re married, single, older, younger, with or without kids, or in a same-sex relationship, working full time, renting or owning – everyone can make a positive difference in a child’s life.
Now an Anglicare Victoria Bendigo respite carer of five years, Deanne’s message to households considering becoming foster carer was straightforward: “What you’ll get out of it is far more than what you’ll give.”
“Some of the key moments are when the little people that arrive relax and they feel safe where they are, playing with our two little wellbeing officers, the dogs, and just seeing how they grow when they’re with you,” Deanne said.
Last year, Anglicare Victoria oversaw foster care for nearly 800 children and young people and is proud to support about 1000 carers across the state annually.
While foster carers provide the day-to-day care of children, they form part of a care team that makes joint decisions regarding the care of the child, with Anglicare Victoria there to support carers every step of the way.
“You can be as involved or do as much or as little as you’re capable of. There’s no fixed forever commitment,” Deanne said.
“There’s an immense amount of support. The case workers we’ve worked with, they care so much about the children. You can ring any time and if they can’t answer someone else will ring you back.”
Children in Deanne’s care share her home with two-year-old Groodle Sunny, six-year-old Cavalier King Charles Jasper and two of Deanne’s teenage daughters.
She said having biological children at home was no barrier to foster caring – instead, it had wholly enriched Deanne’s family life.
“If there’s a birthday for a family member the little children come along as well. It takes a village and I’m very fortunate that all of my family, my daughters and my extended family just embrace the children that we have in our house and in our lives,” Deanne said.
“Just as much as you know they’re not going to be here forever, you build a connection, my daughters have built a connection with some of these kids. From my girls’ perspective it’s given them such a great appreciation of how good a life they have. It’s really brought out the caring in them.
“If you have a sense of family and if you want to be able to do something good for your community, this is a great opportunity.”
Can you provide a safe place for a child in need? Anglicare Victoria runs regular information sessions about all things to do with foster caring. Visit our website to find out when the next one is running near you.
