By Jamie Salter
Pakenham and surrounding residents are being encouraged to consider fostering a child this Foster Care Week, as Anglicare Victoria seeks 90 more carers to meet demand.
There are around 46,000 Australian kids in foster care.
Foster carers provide a safe and supportive environment for children and young people who are unable to live with their own families for a short or long-term period.
Emergency care is usually for a night or two before a more permanent home can be found, and respite care is used to give full-time carers a break, for a weekend each month, or a week during the school holidays.
Pakenham-based respite foster carer Sharna Stevens has cared for ten children over the past 18 months.
“I thought this was something I could offer because I have the love to give and the space,” she said.
“I know I’m providing a safe and secure home for them, whether that’s overnight, a couple of days or a couple of weeks and hopefully they’ll look back and know there was a safe place for them.
“I also enjoy giving full-time carers the break they need to unwind or get chores done.“
She said it really does take a village to raise a child.
“I have cared for some children regularly and I’ve built really great friendships with their foster carer families,” Sharna said.
A single mum, Sharna’s two biological sons are very supportive of her fostering journey.
Sharna works full-time and also volunteers for local community groups, balancing her time to help children in foster care.
“It can be a challenge because I want to offer more time than I can – it’s a bit of a juggling act,” she said.
“You do form a bond with them like they’re part of your own family and you want to see them healthy and achieve.
“I look at it from the fact that I had a job to do and did it well; I try not to bring emotion into it. I came into foster caring to fill a need which is to provide a safe environment for them.”
Anglicare Victoria chief executive officer Paul McDonald said the Covid-19 pandemic continued to put pressure on carers.
“After a couple of tough years during the pandemic, managing lockdowns, working from home and remote learning, we’ve had a number of carers decide to take a break from fostering,” Mr McDonald said.
“The number of new foster carers needed across all agencies in Victoria alone is estimated to exceed 700. The situation is urgent.”
Foster carers can be adults who are single, married, in same-sex relationships, older, younger, with or without their own kids.
Mr McDonald said Foster Care Week – which runs from Sunday 11 September to Saturday 17 September – was the perfect time for people to consider helping a child in need.
“There are fun parts, hard parts, rewarding parts and life-changing parts. Being a foster carer can be challenging, but it is enormously rewarding.”
Foster carers are reimbursed for out of pocket expenses related to the care of the child or children, and are supported throughout the process with case workers.
To enquire about being a foster carer, go to anglicarevic.org.au/fostering or call 1800 809 722.
To donate during Foster Care Week, visit donate.anglicarevic.org.au
