Anthony and Jonelle Nielsen provide out-of-home care for children

Over the years, Anthony and Jonelle Nielsen have opened their home to 27 children in crisis. They talk about their passion for helping kids and explain why more Qld residents should help.

Anthony and Jonelle Nielsen provide care for children in crisis. Picture: Michaela Harlow

Jonelle Neilsen has a list of 27 names – children ranging from two days old to teenagers – all of whom were in crisis with nowhere to go.

Each of these children over the past seven years found safety in the home she shares with husband Anthony.

Together they are among more than 1500 Queensland families responding to the growing number of children entering into the child protection system.

“It was a bit daunting at times but it was worth it,” Mrs Neilsen said.

“Sometimes the children have just had the worst experience of their life.

“They might be coming from a domestic violence background or neglect or just different types of abuse.

“A parent may be sick and have no one else to care for them.

“There’s all different reasons … but when they step in the door of our home one thing that has really stood out to me, particularly when it’s babies – everything they have known to this point in their lives has stopped.

“That hits me really hard. I just go ‘Wow, nothing will ever be the same for this child’.”

Mrs Neilsen said she learned more about children in care while working as a school chaplain during which she also met other fosters carers.

“Then when I got married, my husband was quite open to fostering too so it all kind of just fell into place,” she said.

“We’d semi-recently bought a house and we didn’t have children of our own to fill that space.

“(Fostering) seemed like a natural progression.”

The duo underwent stringent training and assessment before spending 18 months doing respite and emergency placements.

Anthony and Jonelle Nielsen are among 1500 families across Queensland caring for children out-of-home. Picture: Michaela Harlow

Many children arrived on their doorstep with nothing but the clothing on their backs, others with a “grocery bag” containing their only possessions.

University of Queensland Professor Karen Healy led a study published in 2022, which revealed there were more than 46,000 Australian children in out-of-home care, with almost four in 10 entering into foster care.

A Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs spokeswoman said there was currently 402 carer families across Mackay and Rockhampton areas caring for 762 children.

“Of these 762 children, 413 are in foster care and 349 are in kinship care. 406 children are under 10 years old, and 302 are 10 years and over,” the spokeswoman said.

Mrs Neilsen said it was their mission – drawing on the community, their faith and the many organisations and support services – to help children in their care through trauma and troubles “to find some normalcy in their lives”.

“(The children's) defences are up, their morale is low, they might hide food, hide in their room, and they might trash their room,” she said.

“And they might try and push you away because they think everybody leaves eventually.”

Mrs Neilsen said you could not stop it “breaking your heart” or sometimes igniting anger at how children could be put in these situations, but “God kept them going”.

She said the youngest child they had cared for was a two-day-old baby “straight from a hospital”.

“In some cases, just talking in general, they can try and let the parents bond (with the baby) before they’re taken and in other cases, they might just be removed,” she said.

“They get extra cuddles from the nurse and stuff – they’re not just left in a bassinet by themselves.

“They’re really valued and treasured until they get placed into a home.”

Anthony and Jonelle Nielsen are among 1500 families across Queensland caring for children out-of-home. Picture: Michaela Harlow

And while children were separated from their parents, Mrs Neilsen is passionate about facilitating children-parent relationships although in her experience, only about a quarter of the children in her care had ever returned to their parents’ full-time.

“We remain as impartial as we can and try not to judge personal circumstances,” she said, adding the stressors from Covid-19 lockdowns had played a role on family pressures.

She said the current cost of living pressures could cause “stresses to come to a head”.

“Unfortunately a lot of the time its children that come out of it with the raw deal,” Mrs Neilsen said.

There were 6017 Queensland carer families as of September last year – up almost six per cent from 5680 in 2020 – who collectively cared for about 11,400 children.

Children and Youth Justice Minister Leanne Linard said the families played a “crucial role” in supporting the state’s most vulnerable.

“Over the last year, 1547 families stepped up to be carers for the first time – to those families and to those who continue to provide care, I say thank you,” Ms Linard said.

“Sadly, we know there’s still a great need for our child protection services, with 33,098 notifications recorded in the year ending 30 September 2022.

“We are always looking for more carers and I would encourage anyone who is considering it to do their research and speak to someone about taking that initial step.

“It can be a wonderful rewarding role but not without its challenges.”

Mrs Neilsen said if you were thinking about fostering: “Just dip your toe in, give it a go and at any point you can pull out.”

Originally published as Anthony and Jonelle Nielsen provide out-of-home care for children