For Lisa and Wayne Spencer, the decision to become foster carers was simple. “We both love children and felt that we could offer a safe and loving home,” says Lisa.
They enquired at Anglicare Victoria and took part in the ‘Shared Stories, Shared Lives’ training, which they found easy to access. “Our course was informative and provided a realistic insight into the foster care system. We also had the opportunity to listen to existing foster carers who shared their experiences with the group,” says Lisa.
As well as initial support, ongoing support is provided by Anglicare Victoria to all carers including ongoing contact and advice from their foster child’s case worker, support regarding general care, and workshops to further carer’s knowledge and skills.
Increased opportunities, improved care.
In the last 12 months, Anglicare Victoria’s Northwest Recruitment Team has provided 36 training opportunities for foster carers.
“We try to provide training that reflects the challenges foster carers are experiencing. These include caring for babies, therapeutic care, safe sleeping, cyber safety, discipline versus punishment, amongst many more. Our aim is to always support the carer, so they can provide the best possible care,” says Volunteer Recruitment and Support Team Leader, Meg Jenkins.
For carers, there are many benefits to attending workshops. “We recently attended an emotional intelligence workshop which was informative and thought provoking. These types of activities provide the opportunity to not only improve our ability to handle situations but also enables us to interact with other carers,” said Wayne.
Overall, the Spencer’s have found foster caring to be an incredibly rewarding and satisfying experience to provide care and support to a child:
“Anglicare Victoria enables carers to grow as individuals and couples in a structured and professional environment whilst caring for the most vulnerable people in our society.” says Lisa.
Currently caring long-term for a 15 year old boy, they hope to care for more children in the near future.
To find out more about becoming a foster carer, visit http://www.anglicarevic.org.au/foster-care
