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Photo caption: Deanne Deans has fostered nine children in the last seven years and says it’s the best thing she’s ever done.
Training, generous allowance and 24/7 support provided.
MORE than 46,000 kids are in out-of-home care across Australia but at the same time, there are just over 9,000 foster care homes available, with Barnardos Australia launching a campaign to create awareness and highlight the need for more people to get involved.
Auburn resident Deanne Deans fosters through the Barnardos Auburn Children’s Family Centre and says carers provide vulnerable children and young people with care and support when they are no longer able to live with their birth families in a safe, secure and nurturing family home.
She joined in 2016 and has fostered nine children in that time.
“I have an amazing little boy at the moment who came to me at four-months-old, he’s now nearly eight months and I’m also lucky to stiil be in contact with my previous children with one coming to stay with me in the school holidays,” she said.
Deanne said fostering was the best thing she had ever done.”I feel like it has given my own three children, aged 18, 23 and 24, a different, more compassionate perspective on life and I’m a firm believer that when you give good out, good comes back,” she said.
“Children just want love, laughter and structure, knowing there’s the same meal times, play times and sleep times everyday.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the support that Barnardos provides and I certainly recommend it to others, it’s one of the best things you can do.”
Barnardos provides training, a generous allowance and 24/7 support, with foster carers desperately needed for school aged children and siblings. Call 1800 663 441 to find out more.
Learn more about being a foster carer
This article was first published in the Auburn Review here.
