Meet Christie*, an extraordinary foster carer who, along with her loving husband and two children, has dedicated over ten years to providing a safe home for children in need.
“We’d seen a lot of children who had been let down by their parents, who had been treated unwell,” said Christie. “We always would have loved another child. So, ten years ago we became foster carers.”
Christie and her family took on the challenge of fostering, driven by a deep compassion and strong belief that every child deserves a safe and nurturing home.
“Foster care is all about helping other people,” said Christie. “It’s about bringing a child into your family and giving them a chance at a brighter future.”
The family are currently caring for a three-year-old child.
“It’s been amazing since we’ve had the little one in our care. She’s just grown so much,” said Christie.
“When she came in, she was very shy, very quiet but now she’s just part of our family. Every day is rewarding for all of us. She’s a beautiful child.”
As a dedicated mother to her son and daughter, Christie already has a lot of experience caring for children. But she recognises fostering can have its added challenges. Especially for children, like her current foster child, who haven’t been given the best start to life.
“She’s not even four yet and she’s lived in six or seven different households,” said Christie, about their current foster child.
“She has been through a lot of trauma and we just want to care for her for as long as we can.”
Fostering has brought Christie’s family closer
Fostering has not only strengthened the bond within Christie’s family but has also offered valuable life lessons for her biological children.
“My definition of family and love hasn’t changed since fostering,” said Christie. “If anything, it’s made our family grow. We interact a lot more having a young child in the house. I think we are a lot closer.
“Our kids have grown from this experience, especially my daughter. I think it’s great for them to be part of it.”
Christie’s 18-year-old daughter, Jasmine*, shares her same perspective.
“I think young people can play an important part in fostering,” she said.
“It’s good for young people to realise what they had as a child and what some people have missed out on. I would definitely consider being a foster carer in the future.”
Creating new memories
Christie’s family are most excited about creating new memories together.
“Our current foster child hasn’t been able to experience things my brother and I have. Things you look forward to during the year, like Christmas,” said Jasmine.
“I’m excited for her to be able to create all those memories of times we were able to appreciate when we were children.”
“She has never experienced a birthday,” added Christie. “Next month she is turning four and we are going to have a big party. She is so excited, every day she talks about it.”
For Christie, her foster care goals are quite simple – give her foster children the opportunities they need for the life they want.
“The most important thing for us to achieve is just to give her the future she deserves,” said Christie.
“Because we do it with our children and we will do it with anyone else’s. She is a part of our life now. We just want to give her the best future she possibly can have.”
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*This is a true story about real people. Some details such as names have been changed to respect the wishes of the people featured.
