Supporter Spring 2023
Celebrating our foster and kinship carers Each year in September, during Foster and Kinship Carer Week, we celebrate our dedicated foster and kinship carers and the contributions they make to the lives of children and young people. Here are the stories of two of our foster carers who have opened their hearts and their homes to give young people opportunities to thrive and succeed in life.
An opportunity to thrive When the eldest of Lidia’s three foster children turned 18, she supported him to make his own choices about where he wanted to live. He chose to remain at home with Lidia and her family. That was three years ago.
It was 13 years ago when three siblings – a boy who was eight-years-old at the time, his sister aged six and their younger brother, then aged three – moved in with Lidia, who was supported by AnglicareSA. Her family, including her sons – then aged seven and 16 – were ready, willing, and welcoming of the challenge of helping children in need. “You settle as you go, and you work together as a family,” says Lidia. “I have seen the transformation … when they first came to now.
Originally from the African nation of Burundi, foster carer Lidia moved to Adelaide 16 years ago and wanted to open her loving family home to children in need. “Sometimes kids can find themselves in challenging situations and they want things to change,” Lidia said. “They can, when they are given the opportunity – that’s what pushed me in the first place to become a carer.” Making a difference As a special needs educator, Catherine knew she had so much to offer a child and, in 2016 with the support of AnglicareSA, she didn’t just become a foster carer – she became mum. Catherine came to Australia from the UK in 2011 on a Commonwealth Teacher Exchange, joining the Kilkenny Primary School and working with the two special education classes on campus. Immediately feeling right at home in Australia, she settled, and thoughts turned to new chapters of her life. “I never got around to having kids and I was thinking about how I could make a difference to a child,” Catherine said.
Lidia opened her family home to children in need
the plunge,” she said. “Because I’m an educator with a special needs background, I decided to combine the two.” In 2016 she became foster mum to a six-month-old baby boy with developmental delays who she knew could thrive with her support. “I think it’s definitely worth doing if you’re in a position to do that, because there’s plenty of kids who need that home environment and someone who can advocate and get the interventions early.” With ongoing support from the AnglicareSA Foster Care team, Catherine is now working towards being recognised as a specialist carer to continue to support the growth and development of her foster son, now aged 8. “The oldest, when he turned 18, I told him he could now make a choice about where he wanted to live.” “He said: ‘the other boys still live here. Why would I want the leave?’ and it made me a little teary. We are family. My two adult boys are still at home as well.”
Catherine knew she had a lot to offer
Being single and working full-time Catherine felt, to begin with at least, that being a permanent foster carer might not be practical and signed up to offer respite care. “So, I did disability respite for a little while just to see how it went and it wasn’t long until I was ready to take
For more information on foster care visit our website anglicaresa.com.au/foster-care/starting-your-journey/
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