Thanks A Million: Foster care inquiries and adoptions surge during COVID-19

Disability worker Tara Graves is a loving foster parent to a nine-year-old girl who was unable to live with her birth mother. Find out why foster care inquiries have surged recently.

Foster care inquiries have surged since COVID-19 as Australians use the downtime to provide children more stability during uncertain times.

Key Assets NSW says foster care inquiries were up by almost 30 per cent from January to September compared to the same time last year.

The company has received and responded to more than 2300 inquiries for foster care and met individually with hundreds of households to discuss becoming foster parents.

While caring for kids is never easy, disability worker Tara Graves was up for the challenge and is a loving foster parent to a nine-year-old girl who was unable to live with her birth mother.

Tara Graves is a great example of how being a single female isn’t a barrier to becoming a foster carer. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“We have a very close attachment,” Ms Graves said, who has cared for the girl since she was six-years-old.

“She refers to me as her ‘heart mum’ and we refer to her biological mother as her ‘tummy mum’.

“We work on a memory book together so she understands why she’s in care.”

The young girl’s behaviour can be testing but the personal rewards are so great that she plans to be a foster carer for many years to come.

“You get a great sense of satisfaction giving a child love and care when their family is facing difficulties,” she said of the child who cannot be named for welfare reasons.

“This is probably the most powerful way you can make an impact in improving your community — through just investing in one child.”

There are more than 45,000 children in need of care across Australia.

Ms Graves has been recognised for her care and love of kids in need by fostering agency Key Assets, who have nominated her for News Corp Australia’s Thanks A Million campaign.

“Thanks to Tara’s advocacy, strength and resilience, the child has been able to make huge strides in her development and form a secure attachment with a loving and nurturing adult in her life,” Key Assets social worker Rebecca Rattle said.

“If people have ever thought about being a carer before, then now is the time,” said Key Assets executive director Jamie Hodgson.

“Something you thought might never be possible may actually be achievable to help a child fulfil their potential.”

It’s estimated that there are more than 45,000 children in need of care across Australia. In NSW there is a need for children over the age of six years old.

Originally published as Thanks A Million: Foster care inquiries and adoptions surge during COVID-19