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It wasn’t until the age of 40 that Lisa had her first daughter.

In the wake of experiencing the highs of starting a family, she then lost her second child during pregnancy.

Deep down, Lisa knew she had more love to give.

“I did feel like my family was a little incomplete,” she said.

“But in saying that I knew there was a lot more to consider before I went into fostering.”

When it came to understanding more about foster care, it was Lisa’s late auntie that acted as soul inspiration.

It was years ago that her auntie became a foster carer with AnglicareSA after losing her five-year-old child.

“My auntie fostered a lot of children and I never knew until the day of her funeral when they read out her amazing achievements – I was mind blown,” she said.

“She had a traumatic experience herself – she was adopted and had been through a lot.

“Sometimes the missing pieces can spur people on to make it better, not for themselves, but for other children – it was an inspiration to find out what she did and it’s always been in the back of my mind since.”

Welcoming a Special New Family Member

It was just over two years ago following a break up and search for a stable home, that Lisa and her daughter welcomed a one-year-old boy into their loving family.

Lisa was conscious of ensuring she was in the best situation possible before pursuing foster care.

“It was the right time – I had the resources, love to give, and had a secure home for a child who needed it,” she said.

“I did a bit of googling, went to an information evening and found AnglicareSA had diverse fostering opportunities.

“My daughter was having a few issues with our break up and I actually went to AnglicareSA for her counselling and already formed a connection there.”

Lisa described the whole process as a ‘baptism of fire’ but said watching her daughter and foster son grow together as a family is the ultimate reward.

“He’s an absolute pleasure to have as a part of our family,” she said.

“It’s amazing watching him grow, learn and prosper as compared to what opportunities he probably would’ve had.”

The boy turned three in July, with Lisa already seeing signs of a budding engineer or builder.

“He’s started kindy and loves to build and put things together. I’ve introduced him to dolls and things just to make sure there’s no inequality there – but it’s train and cars all the way.”

The biggest challenge for Lisa has been adjusting her daughter to having another child at home.

Because it had previously just been the two of them, it took some time for everyone to adapt to having each other in their lives.

“He’s a very chilled out little fellow and his relationship with my daughter has really blossomed,” she said.

Lisa is deeply committed to keeping the boy connected to his culture and community, and strengthening his personal identity.

Being a Foster Carer

Lisa believes “everyone should be doing their bit to support those in need.”

“I understand that not everyone thinks like me but people shouldn’t be worried about struggling to provide a child with opportunities, confidence and abilities – I don’t have much but I have what he needs,” she said.

“Families are different and your child doesn’t have to be biologically yours to give that love to them. And my extended family have opened their arms with love for the boy.”

Lisa said for those looking into becoming foster carers, there’s always someone to reach out to for support.

“I never feel cast adrift,” she said.

“You think sometimes ‘how am I going to get through this?’ But you do, and at the end of the day this beautiful bundle of joy is what you get.”

“You always deal with and confidently adapt to whatever comes along, and if I could go back in time I wouldn’t change a thing – I would love to foster again.”

If you are considering becoming a foster carer like Lisa, we would love to hear from you.

For more information on becoming a foster carer call (08) 8131 3456.