Belinda Fairleigh believes the most fulfilling aspect of foster caring is seeing the children in her care thriving.
“They come out of their shell, and they know that someone’s in their corner and that someone’s going to support them,” she said.
“That’s a daily reward.”
The Wyndham Vale resident and her partner Shane Miller have been foster carers with Anglicare for just over three years, and have cared for about ten children in that time.
“There’s just a lot of need to find those homes for children who might not have somewhere safe or loving to stay,” Ms Fairleigh said.
“It’s really rewarding seeing those kids then go on to do great things that they might not have the opportunity to do prior.”
Anglicare Victoria chief executive Paul McDonald said the group is urgently seeking more foster 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.”
Ms Fairleigh said residents should get behind local foster care agencies.
“Even if you don’t have the ability to open your home and care for children directly, there’s still a lot in the community that can be done to help out,” she said.
Details: anglicarevic.org.au/fostering or call 1800 809 722
