As parents ourselves, we only ever want to keep our children safe, secure and happy. The vulnerability and innocence of a baby or child is one we feel compelled to protect and nurture.
Yet, as this is being written, our Illawarra children and young people are at risk.
Due to the shortage of foster carers in our Illawarra community, children are being forced to move away from their community and leave behind all that is local and familiar to them. They are losing everything.
Despite the best efforts of many dedicated foster carers based outside the Illawarra who take our local kids in, the huge upheaval for the child creates even more disadvantage. Every day, Illawarra children are being uprooted and lose their local daycare, schools, church, soccer clubs, friends and all they know in their community.
This is a heart wrenching and very local problem that not enough of us know about, yet there is a solution.
There are many misconceptions about fostering and foster care, so we spoke to the credible source of Shannon Kendrick, Director of Caring with Carers, to get an honest and wider understanding of what fostering is and who can do it.
Caring With Carers are also inviting the local Illawarra community to attend their FREE Foster Care Information Session to find out more about how you can help - CLICK HERE for the FREE Event Details and to reserve your spot.
- Anyone over 21 years of age can apply to become a foster carer.
- You are guided through the foster application process with Caring with Carers, who of course ensure anyone applying is checked for their suitability, so every child requiring care can be safe.
- There are different types of foster carers desperately needed in the Illawarra, starting from respite care (around one weekend a month), to shorter term care through to permanent care.
- You can specify the age of the child you would be most comfortable to care for and who would fit best with your current family dynamic.
- You receive a substantial allowance to cover the cost of the child/ren in your foster care.
- Every effort is made to keep fostered siblings together.
- Once you have completed the assessment and training process, you will have a discussion as to when you are available to begin caring.
- Introducing another child or young person into your family undoubtably has an impact on your family unit, however it can help cultivate a sense of care,
compassion and appreciation in your own children, for the love and stability they have, and how this can be shared to other children in desperate need
for it.
- Fostering can help break the cycle of disadvantage, you can make the difference in a world where the outcomes for children who don't have stability, are bleak.
- Foster carers come from every walk of life. The key requirements are time, patience and an open heart, however the rewards for foster carers are significant. The fulfilment of knowing what a difference you have made, can be life changing.
- Fostering can be temporary, as working towards reunification of their birth family, is the best outcome for the child or young person. This can mean love and loss for foster carers, but always with the understanding that the best interest of the child comes first. However, it is not uncommon for foster care to turn into adoption in some cases.
If you would love to discover how you can make a difference to kids in need in your local community, make contact with Caring With Carers on 045 228 2698 or email admin@caringwithcarers.com.au or come along to the upcoming community event to hear more.
With our thanks to Shannon Kendrick from Caring with Carers for working with Parents Guide Illawarra, for sponsoring this article and for keeping us informed in how we can best help our most vulnerable in our Illawarra community xxx