A Ferntree Gully resident is marking a remarkable milestone, during this year’s Foster Care Week, Sunday 14 to Saturday 20 September.
Over three decades, Deanne Nation has opened her home and heart to around 100 children, and offered them a safe and loving environment when they needed it most.
Ms Nation, a stay-at-home mum, said her journey into foster care began at a young age, inspired by her own mother, who was a foster carer.
“My mum started fostering when I was 11 years old,” Ms Nation said.
“We saw lots of babies come and go, and I helped look after them, as soon as I was old enough, I started doing it myself. It just continued on from there.”
What’s kept her going all these years is simple, the chance to provide stability, love, and safety to a child, even if just for a moment.
“Sometimes it’s just being able to help a little person that needs someone,” she said.
“Even if it’s just for a night, to give them a calm, loving home and that’s an amazing feeling.”
Ms Nation has cared for children of all ages, from newborns to teenagers and many with complex disabilities.
Currently, she provides long-term care for a young girl with significant support needs, and said watching her grow has been nothing short of extraordinary.
“Where she came from, to where she is now, it’s amazing to see her thrive,” she said.
For Ms Nation, the most meaningful parts of foster care often lie in the quiet, unspoken moments.
“It’s the little things, when they reach out and take your hand, when they tell you they feel safe, when their world is okay, even for just that moment,” she said.
She said foster care is often misunderstood, with one of the biggest misconceptions is that foster carers are adopting children, but that’s not the case.
“We don’t have guardianship, it’s a ‘for now’ situation,” Ms Nation said.
“They might be with us for a night, a few months, or longer, but the goal is always to get them back to their family.”
Some children return home once their families are supported and stable, others may go to live with relatives and occasionally, as in Ms Nation’s current case, they stay for the long haul.
One of the most heartwarming moments in her journey came recently, when a woman in her 40s contacted Ms Nation’s family, she had been in foster care with them over 35 years ago.
“She was adopted and didn’t know much about her time in care. We were able to give her photos and help fill in some of the blanks,” Ms Nation said.
“It gave her a sense of where she came from, a lot of them don’t have that.”
Foster care has not only shaped Ms Nation’s life, but also her family.
Her sister is also a long-term foster carer, and her 20-year-old son, raised alongside many of the children in care, is now pursuing a career as a support worker for children with disabilities.
“He grew up seeing children come in from violent homes and shared his room with them, it’s made him an amazing human being,” she said.
For those considering becoming a foster carer, Ms Nation encourages people to take the first step.
“Make a phone call, attend an info session, if you’ve got a room, a spare bed, why not try?” she said.
“You’ve got nothing to lose by looking into it.”
Anglicare Victoria eastern out-of-home-care program manager, Tarni Haywood said foster carers like Deanne play such an important role for children, making sure they have a safe, loving place to call home.
“Anglicare Victoria is always on the look out for more foster carers across the eastern suburbs and there’s no better time to learn more than right now, during Foster Care Week,” she said.
“We need all kinds of foster carers. It doesn’t matter if you’re married or single, if you work full time, have kids or were born overseas. There are so many different types of foster care that can suit all kinds of households.”
“The best place to start for anyone curious about foster care is to give us a call, or register for one of our free, online information sessions. Our staff will guide you through the process of becoming a foster carer and you can ask any questions.”
Ms Nation is also hopeful that Foster Care Week will inspire more people to step forward, especially as more carers are needed.
“We’re losing so many foster carers,” she said.
“It’s heartbreaking that children are ending up in residential care when they shouldn’t be, we need more people to come back, and new ones to come in.”
After 30 years, Ms Nation remains humble about her role.
“I’m just a normal person, there’s nothing special about me. I just like to help,” she said.
Ms Nation described her 30 years of experience as, “extremely privileged.”
