General News
5 March, 2023
Devoted couple faces of foster caring quest
A CAIRNS couple is one of the faces of a Queensland foster caring recruitment campaign.
The “We need more foster carers, like you” campaign features Lisa and Clayton (surname withheld), alongside other carers in a series of television and social media advertisements and videos.
The Palaszczuk government is looking for more foster carers, with a state-wide recruitment campaign currently underway. Lisa and Clayton, who are parents to three biological children, have been carers for more than six years and have fostered four children:
“There are some children … who have had a really rough start or have had something really serious happen in their life and we need to help them,” Lisa said.
“I’ve met people from all different walks of life who work shift work and full-time jobs.
“That’s no barrier to caring. The agency [foster care agency] will work with you to arrange placements that meet your needs and work well for your family.
“The children just want someone to be there and love them.
“They want that routine. They want to know where the next meal’s coming from, that it’s all in a nice predictable fashion. And if you can provide that, you can provide foster care.”
“It is joy,” describes Clayton.
“You’re just trying to provide for someone else. Now fostering is just a part of who I am.”
The state-wide television and digital campaign showcase stories of real foster carers sharing their unique stories to encourage more Queenslanders to take on the role.
Queensland has more than 6000 foster and kinship carer families who come from all walks of life.
This includes married couples with children of their own, single parent carers, members of the LGBTIQA+ community and First Nations carers. Cairns MP Michael Healy said “foster and kinship carers are nothing short of inspiring”.
“Unfortunately, there are some children and young people in our community who are unable to live with their parents and who need a safe and caring home. That’s where foster and kinship carers step in,” he said.
“It is stories like Cairns’ own Lisa and Clayton’s, and thousands more throughout the state, which can best explain why being a foster carer is a privilege.”
To become a foster carer visit www.qld.gov.au/fostercare or call Queensland Foster and Kinship Care on 1300 550 877.
