Brisbane couple hopes to encourage foster carers call for more people to sign up

A Brisbane couple has overcome fear and doubt to take a leap and help some of our state’s most vulnerable. The duo is hoping by sharing their story they can encourage others to give foster caring a go.

After volunteering with disadvantaged kids and a little inspiration from a family member, a Brisbane couple decided to make a major life change.

LGBTIQ+ couple, Michael and Scott, are now proud foster carers to two children.

Based in Newmarket, the couple hasn’t looked back, despite their initial doubts and fears.

“Michael decided he wanted to do something to help kids in need,” Scott said.

And with the encouragement of his aunty, a former foster carer, the couple decided fostering was the right pathway for them

“It was extremely daunting to begin with, you go through all of these doubts – what will the kid think of me?,” Scott said.

“What happens if I make a mistake? What are the repercussions? It’s the fear of the unknown.”

Michael and Scott are foster carers based in Brisbane. Picture: Contributed.

Scott said the couple received training to help them

“The department and the associated organisations put us through training before we were officially ticked off as foster carers, and that essentially covered things like managing trauma, and managing possible behavioural concerns,” he said.

“We started with respite care, just to test the waters and see whether foster caring was something we were interested in or capable of doing.

“After the initial experience, our comfort levels improved, and we went full-time.”

Michael said he summed foster caring up as ‘learning’.

“Every day I learn something new, and I love to learn and discover new things,” he said.

“It’s made me grow so much as a person and discover things I never knew were possible.”

The Brisbane couple said they had seen tremendous growth in the children they have welcomed into their home.

“I have definitely seen a change in the kids’ behaviours, from the time they arrived to now,” Scott said.

“They’re comfortable, they’re happy and they have a routine.

“We’ve seen an improvement with their education, reading and mathematics – and behaviourally, they’re much more settled now.”

The duo are hoping by sharing their story, they can encourage others to join the ranks with a need for foster carers increasing thanks to Covid-19.

Minister for Children Leanne Linard thanked Michael and Scott for taking on the important role of fostering and encouraged anyone interested to take the next step and find out more.

“I am so proud of our carers and what they do. Our response to children in need simply would not be possible without them,” she said.

“We are always looking for more Queenslanders to jump on board and become carers and that is what this campaign is all about, reaching out and sharing the first-hand experiences of some of our carers.

“While we are very fortunate to already have thousands of caring Queenslanders who foster, we need more as the number of children requiring out-of-home care increases.”

Visit www.qld.gov.au/fostercare to view the foster carer stories, learn more about foster care and to submit an expression of interest.

To speak to someone about foster care, call Queensland Foster and Kinship Care on 1300 550 877.