Have you ever considered fostering a child?
I have.
Or should I say, Bryce and I have.
We have discussed adoption and foster care.
Bryce would love a daughter.
I’ve been candid about my inability to cope with the newborn phase, and I honestly don’t think I could go through that again.
On a positive note, the twins are at an extremely fun age, and we have often discussed, “Could we?”
We currently do not have the space or financial means to support another child.
We are also in the midst of undertaking a substantial move interstate (check out my previous blog here).
It could be viable for us down the track.
Then again, other thoughts I have considered about fostering:
In 2022-23, 1 in 32 Aussie children came into contact with protection systems. That’s approximately 180,000 kids potentially looking for a foster family.
In contrast, 201 adoptions were finalised in the same year in Australia.
I don’t know about everywhere else in the world, but that seems like a large number of kids needing healthy and safe homes compared to a smaller number of adoptions than I had anticipated.
Leanne graciously allowed me to interview her for this blog.
Leanne is a good friend I’ve admired for years, and Joan is Leanne’s mum.
Joan is one of OzChild’s longest-serving foster carers and the deserving recipient of the Order of Australia (OAM) medal.
I interviewed Leanne to gain insight into foster parenting and the fantastic work foster parents do to support children and families in need.
Here is Joan and Leanne’s story.
Liss: What was the process for you to become a foster parent?
Leanne: My parents started fostering children when I was about 10 months old. I started fostering when I was in my 20s. The process for me was Mum’s social worker asked me if I would look after the children in mum’s care, whilst Mum went away. We sat down, filled out the forms, I had an interview to ensure suitability etc, police checks etc done.
Liss: What reasons have children been placed into your care?
Leanne: There are a huge number of reasons why children are placed into foster care. It may be to do with neglect of the child, or the child is in danger, it could also be for the care of the parent. I remember one child that came into care, whilst the mother was having another baby as she was now a single mother.
Liss: Without providing a dollar amount, what type of funding do you receive to provide care?
Leanne: You receive a $ amount every fortnight to assist in feeding, clothing, schooling etc. Please don’t go into foster care if it is about money for you. The amount you will receive changes based on the age of the child and also the needs of the child, but it in no way compensates for everything.
Liss: Why do you think there aren’t more people volunteering to become foster parents?
Leanne: I believe with the cost of living as it is, in most families both parties have to be paid employees just to make ends meet. People don’t understand that anyone can be a carer, you just have to make a child feel important and cared for. You could work full time, part time and still be a carer. You could attend University or some other study and still be a carer.
Liss: Do you feel there is a stigma around the types of children that are entered into the system?
Leanne: Absolutely, but it is mostly wrong. Most of the kids that have lived with us over the years are good kids. They just need some stability. They should never be treated any differently to your own children. That makes them feel as if they don’t belong.
Liss: How long does a child often live with you?
Leanne: We have had kids from a few hours to many, many years. We had a brother and sister come and live with us when they were 4 and 5. They still are part of our family and are now 32 and 33.
Liss: How many kids have you cared for over the years?
Leanne: My mum retired in January 2021, but only after having cared for about 600 kids over the preceding 55 years. Mum got started through the Harold Blair Aboriginal Children’s Project. Aboriginal children mostly from NT and QLD came for the school holidays on buses and stayed with Victorian Families. When Harold Blair passed away, mum started fostering through Foster Care Westernport and then OZChild.
Liss: What ages of children have you cared for?
Leanne: We bought a 3-day-old baby home from the hospital; she was our youngest. We have cared for children up to 16 years. Mum never kicks them out though, lol and in a lot of cases they stay even after leaving the foster care system.
Liss: Is there any counselling or support offered by the Government to you/the child?
Leanne: Absolutely, all children in care are assigned a Social Worker. It is the responsibility of the Carer and Worker to work together to ensure that any issues with the child are taken care of. Any medical concerns, the correct referrals are made and appropriate action taken. This also applies to any schooling concerns too.
Liss: Have you ever encountered a dangerous child? What happened?
Leanne: We have had a number of issues over the years, from the child that was lighting matches under his bed, to the child that was violent with other children, to the child that lashed out and threw anything he could lay his hands on. At the end of the day, you have to protect yourself and other children in your care.
Liss: Is there anything notable that readers should know about if they are considering becoming a foster parent?
Leanne: Do it. There are so many kids every night, in out-of-home care. These kids deserve a chance too. Not only OZchild, but lots of services are extremely short of carers. Yes, there are lots of sad stories about why they are in care, but there are lots of happy stories too, where Mum or Dad are healthy enough for the kids to go home.
Liss: Could someone adopt their foster child?
Leanne: There have been cases where adoption has occurred. There are also children that are placed in permanent care too. This happened to one of the children in our care. She was just 18 months when she came into care and about 3 years later went into permanent care. Our family was the only family she knew. She was placed into permanent care with someone from my family.
Liss: Can single parents, solo parents or people without children foster a child?
Leanne: Absolutely. Anyone can become a foster carer. Older people, younger people, single, married, divorced, kids/no kids.
Liss: What has been the most rewarding thing about becoming a foster parent?
Leanne: I guess for me, it is knowing that had they stayed in their home environment that would not have had such a rich, healthy childhood. My mum tells a story of a little boy that came to live with us. He went to school and told his friend “the lady I live with must really like me because look at all this in my lunchbox” Obviously his lunchbox was lacking in the past. Having kids grow up and go to University, or get a good job is rewarding. Watching them grow up and having wonderful relationships with friends and family is rewarding. Watching how some of them still relate to my mum after leaving her care is rewarding.
Liss: What has been the most challenging thing about fostering a child?
Leanne: Sometimes letting them go is challenging. I have found over the years, some kids are easy to let go, if it has been a challenging placement, or if there have been problems, others you simply don’t want to go. That may be because you developed an exceptional relationship with them. There are many over the last 58 years that I have thought about with “I wonder what they are doing now” or “I wonder if they married and had kids of their own”
Liss: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Leanne: I think for me, growing up with a house full, I was never lonely, I always had to share, I don’t think I am selfish and I always put others first. I couldn’t tell you how many times my twin sister and I went to bed, sharing a room, with single beds against both side walls, and woke up with a mattress between our beds and 1, 2 or even 3 kids sharing that mattress. Lucky to have wonderful parents, I consider I had an amazing childhood and wouldn’t swap it for anything.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Her Second Shift acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today
Adoptions should increase in Australia where there is little to no likelihood a child can be returned to a safe and stable home in a reasonable timeframe.
Of the 200 adoptions in Australia, only 31 were adoptions where the adult did not know the child prior (as a carer, relative or step parent). Seems like plenty of opportunities for children to have consistency and create new families when parents are unable (for whatever reason, there could be hundreds of reasons) to do so themselves.
What an amazing family they are to foster so lovingly and for so long. They are truly inspiring and beautiful people. Great interview, shining a light on the desperate foster care system. Speaking from experience, if anyone is considering, just go for it. It’s the most rewarding job in the world.